\ 


HE     FELT     SOMEBODY    CATCH    HIM    BY     THE     ARMS     AND     TURNING     HE 

BEHELD  NAT. — Frontispiect? - 
Farm  to  Fortune. 


FROM 
FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

Or,  Nat  Nason's  Strange  Experience 


BY 

HORATIO  ALGER,  JR. 

AUTHOR   OF    "LOST   AT    SEA,"    "NELSON    THE   NEWSBOY," 
"  OUT   FOR   BUSINESS,"    "  THE    YOUNG    BOOK 

AGENT,"   "RAGGED  DICK 
SERIES,"  ETC. 


GROSSET      &     DUNLAP 
PUBLISHERS    :    NEW    YORK 


Copyright,   1905 

BY 
STITT  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 


PREFACE 

NAT  NASON  was  a  poor  country  boy  with  a 
strong  desire  to  better  his  condition.  Life  on  the 
farm  was  unusually  hard  for  him,  and  after  a 
quarrel  with  his  miserly  uncle,  with  whom  he  re- 
sided, he  resolved  to  strike  out  for  himself. 

Nat  was  poor  and  it  was  a  struggle  to  reach  the 
great  city,  where  the  youth  trusted  that  fame  and 
fortune  awaited  him. 

The  boy  obtained,  by  accident,  a  fair  sum  of 
money  and  with  this  he  resolved  to  go  into  a  busi- 
ness of  some  kind.  But  a  sharper  quickly  re- 
lieved him  of  his  wealth,  and  opened  Nat's  eyes 
to  the  fact  that  he  was  not  as  shrewd  as  he  had 
thought  himself  to  be. 

The  lesson  proved  a  valuable  one,  and  from  that 
moment  the  country  boy  did  his  best  to  not  alone 
win  success  but  to  deserve  it.  He  worked  hard, 
often  in  the  midst  of  great  difficulties,  and  what 
the  outcome  of  his  struggle  was,  will  be  found  in 
the  pages  which  follow. 

In  penning  this  tale  the  author  has  endeavored 
to  show  the  difference  between  life  in  a  quiet 
country  place  and  in  a  great  bustling  city,  and  es- 

iii 


iv  PREFACE 

pecially  as  that  difference  shows  itself  to  the  eyes 
of  a  country  boy.  Many  country  lads  imagine 
that  to  go  to  the  city  and  win  success  there  is  easy ; 
perhaps  they  will  not  think  it  so  easy  after  they 
have  read  of  what  happened  to  Nat  Nason.  More 
than  once,  in  spite  of  his  grit  and  courage, 'Nat 
came  close  to  making  a  complete  failure  of  what  he 
had  started  out  to  do,  and  his  success  in  the  end 
was  perhaps  after  all  not  as  great  as  he  had  an- 
ticipated when  first  striking  out. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

I.  NAT  ON  THE  FARM  .... 

II.  A  QUARREL  IN  THE  BARNYARD 

III.  NAT  LEAVES  THE  FARM  . 

IV.  ABNER  BALBERRY'S  DISCOVERY 
V.  THE  SALE  OF  A  Cow 

VI.  NAT  ON  LAKE  ERIE 

VII.  AN  ADVENTURE  AT  NIAGARA  FALLS 

VIII.  A  FRESH  START  IN  LIFE 

IX.  FIRST  DAYS  IN  NEW  YORK     .        . 

X.  OUT  OF  WORK  ONCE  MORE    . 

XL  WHAT  A  HUNDRED  DOLLARS  DID  . 

XII.  ON  THE  BROOKLYN  BRIDGE     . 

XIII.  A  SWINDLE  EXPOSED 

XIV.  NAT  OBTAINS  ANOTHER  SITUATION 
XV.  ABNER  AND  THE  WIDOW  GUFF 

XVI.  ABNER  VISITS  NEW  YORK 

XVII.  A  CASE  OF  MISTAKEN  IDENTITY     . 

XVIII.  NAT  MEETS  His  UNCLE 

XIX.  NAT  BECOMES  A  PRIVATE  CLERK    . 

XX.  RUFUS  CAMERON'S  BOLD  MOVE 

XXI.  A  MISSING  DOCUMENT  OF  VALUE    . 

XXII.  AT  THE  ELEVATED  STATION 

XXIII.  TOM  NOLAN'S  CONFESSION 

XXIV.  THE  PAPERS  IN  THE  TRUNK    . 

v 


PAGE 
i 

8^ 
15 
23 
3i 
40 
48 
57 
66 

74 

83 
91 
99 
108 
117 
128 
136 
147 
156 
165 
173 
180 
188 
199 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

XXV.  BACK  TO  THE  CITY 

XXVI.  FRED  GIVES  UP  CITY  LIFE 

XXVII.  A  SCENE  AT  THE  HOTEL       . 

XXVIII.  A  SUDDEN  PROPOSAL    . 

XXIX.  THE  CAPTURE  OF  NICK  SMITHERS 

XXX.  NAT  COMES  INTO  His  OWN 


PAGE 
•  2O7 
214 
220 
226 
234 


FROM    FARM    TO    FORTUNE 

CHAPTER  I 

NAT  ON  THE  FARM 

"  NAT,  where  have  you  been?  " 

"  Been  fishing,"  answered  the  boy  addressed,  a 
sturdy  youth  of  sixteen,  with  clear  blue  eyes  and 
sandy  hair. 

"  Fishin'  ?  And  who  said  you  could  go  fishin'  ?  " 
demanded  Abner  Balberry,  in  his  high,  nervous 
voice. 

"  Nobody  said  I  could  go,"  answered  the  boy, 
firmly.  "  But  I  thought  you'd  all  like  to  have  some 
fish  for  supper,  so  I  went." 

"  Humph !  I  suppose  you  thought  as  how  them 
taters  would  hoe  themselves,  eh?  "  sneered  Abner 
Balberry,  who  was  not  only  Nat's  uncle,  but  also 
his  guardian. 

"  I  hoed  the  potatoes,"  was  the  boy's  answer. 
"  Got  through  at  half-past  two  o'clock." 

"  If  you  got  through  so  soon  you  didn't  half  do 
the  job,"  grumbled  the  man.  "  I  ain't  goin'  to 


2  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

have  you  wastin'  your  time  on  no  fishin',  under- 
stand?" 

"Can't  I  go  fishing  at  all?" 

"  Not  when  there  is  work  to  do  on  this  farm." 

"  But  I  did  my  work,  Uncle  Abner." 

"  An'  I  say  it  couldn't  have  been  done  right  if 
ye  didn't  take  proper  time  f er  it.  Nat  Nason !  I 
know  you !  You  are  gittin'  lazy !  " 

"  I'm  not  lazy !  "  cried  the  boy,  indignantly.  "  I 
work  as  hard  as  anybody  around  here." 

"  Don't  you  talk  back  to  me ! "  ejaculated 
Abner  Balberry.  "  I  say  you  are  lazy,  an'  I  know. 
How  many  fish  did  ye  catch  ?  " 

"  I  only  got  two.  They  didn't  bite  very  well 
to-day." 

"  Humph !  A- wastin'  three  hours  an*  more  jest 
to  catch  two  little  fish !  If  I  let  you  go  your  own 
way,  Nat  Nason,  you'll  be  in  the  poorhouse  before 
you  die." 

"  I  don't  think  I'll  ever  get  to  the  poorhouse, 
Uncle  Abner." 

"  Oh,  don't  talk  back !  Take  your  fish  to  the 
kitchen  an'  then  git  down  to  the  barnyard  as 
quick  as  you  can.  You've  got  to  help  me  milk  to- 
night. An'  don't  you  dare  to  go  fishin'  ag'in,  un- 
less I  give  ye  permission,"  added  Abner  Balberry, 
as  he  strode  off  towards  the  barn. 

A  sharp  answer  arose  to  Nat  Nason's  lips,  but 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  3 

he  checked  it  and  turned  toward  the  kitchen  of  the 
farmhouse. 

"What  luck  did  you  have,  Nat?"  questioned 
the  old  woman  who  was  Abner  Balberry's  house- 
keeper. 

"Not  much  luck,  Mrs.  Felton.  They  didn't 
bite  very  well  to-day." 

"What  was  Mr.  Balberry  saying  to  you?" 
went  on  Mrs.  Felton,  who  had  been  housekeeper 
at  the  place  since  the  death  of  Mrs.  Balberry,  two 
years  before. 

"  He  was  mad  because  I  went  fishing." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that." 

"  Uncle  Abner  never  wants  me  to  have  any 
sport." 

"  He's  a  hard-working  man,  and  always  was, 
Nat.  He  doesn't  believe  in  wasting  time." 

"  But  a  fellow  ought  to  have  a  little  time  off." 

"  That  may  be  true." 

"  Don't  you  think  I  work  pretty  hard  for  a  boy 
of  my  age  ?  " 

"  I  do,  Nat." 

"  Uncle  Abner  wants  to  make  a  regular  slave 
out  of  a  fellow." 

"  Didn't  he  say  you  were  to  help  him  milk  to- 
night?" 

"  Yes,  and  I  might  as  well  get  at  it  right  away. 
If  I  don't,  he'll  give  me  another  jawing,"  answered 


4  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

the  boy,  and  placing  his  fish  on  a  bench,  he  strode 
off  toward  the  barnyard. 

Nat  Nason  was  an  orphan,  the  only  child  of 
Mr.  William  Nason,  who  had  been  a  brother  to 
the  late  Mrs.  Balberry.  The  boy's  father  had  been 
killed  in  a  runaway  and  his  mother  had  never  got- 
ten over  the  shock  of  the  sudden  death. 

When  the  youth  found  himself  an  orphan  he 
was  taken  in  by  his  Aunt  Mary,  who  did  what  she 
could  for  him.  The  Nasons  had  not  been  rich,  so 
there  was  little  or  no  money  coming  to  Nat. 
From  the  start  he  was  told  that  he  must  earn  his 
own  living,  and  this  he  proceeded  to  do  to  the 
best  of  his  ability. 

The  death  of  his  Aunt  Mary  was  almost  as 
much  of  a  blow  to  the  lad  as  the  loss  of  his 
mother,  for  it  left  him  under  the  entire  charge  of 
his  uncle,  Abner  Balberry.  The  latter  had  no  chil- 
dren of  his  own  and  he  made  Nat  work  as  hard 
as  if  he  were  a  full-grown  man. 

The  Balberry  farm  was  located  in  Ohio,  not  far 
from  the  town  of  Caswell.  It  consisted  of  one 
hundred  acres  of  good  land,  writh  a  house  and 
several  outbuildings.  Among  his  neighbors  Abner 
Balberry  was  considered  the  meanest  man  in  the 
district.  Abner  himself  thought  he  was  a  pretty 
good  man  and  he  counted  himself  a  real  "  pillow" 
of  the  church,  as  he  expressed  it. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  5 

For  two  years  life  on  the  Balberry  farm  had 
been  one  continual  grind  to  Nat  Nason.  He  was 
expected  to  work  from  morning  to  night,  and 
such  a  thing  as  a  whole  day  off  was  utterly  un- 
known to  him.  He  received  next  to  nothing  in 
the  way  of  spending  money. 

"  I'll  save  the  money  fer  ye,"  Abner  Balberry 
would  say,  when  questioned  on  the  subject. 

'Tain't  good  fer  boys  to  have  too  much  cash 
on  hand.  It  makes  'em  reckless." 

"  But  you  never  give  me  anything,"  had  been 
Nat's  answer. 

"  Never  mind — I'm  a-givin'  you  a  good  home 
an'  good  eatin',"  was  the  answer. 

The  good  home  and  good  fare  were  something 
to  be  questioned.  Nat's  room  was  a  small  one 
under  the  roof,  his  clothing  usually  made  over 
from  the  garments  worn  by  Mr.  Balberry,  and 
such  a  thing  as  an  elaborate  table  was  unknown 
on  the  farm.  Many  times  Mrs.  Felton  had  wished 
to  cook  more,  or  make  some  fancy  dishes,  but 
Abner  Balberry  had  always  stopped  her  from 
doing  such  a  thing. 

"  Plain  fare  is  good  enough,"  he  would  say. 
"  An'  if  ye  eat  too  much  it  only  brings  on  the 
dyspepsy."  More  than  once  Nat  went  to  bed  feel- 
ing positively  hungry. 

When  Nat  reached  the  barnyard  he  found  his 


6  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

uncle  already  there  with  the  milk  pails  and  milk- 
ing an  old  white  cow  called  Sukey. 

"  Go  on  down  the  lane  and  drive  up  Jule,"  cried 
Abner  Balberry,  without  stopping  his  milking. 
"  She  just  went  down  that  way." 

"All  right,"  answered  Nat,  and  passing 
through  the  barnyard  he  hurried  down  the  lane 
mentioned. 

Jule  was  a  new  cow  that  the  farmer  had  pur- 
chased a  week  before.  She  did  not  seem  in- 
clined to  herd  with  the  other  animals  and  Nat 
had  had  quite  a  good  deal  of  trouble  with  her 
before. 

At  the  end  of  the  lane  was  an  orchard  and 
here  he  found  the  cow,  contentedly  eating  the 
fresh  grass.  She  tried  to  get  away  from  him,  but 
he  was  too  quick  for  the  creature  and  soon  had  her 
turned  around  and  headed  up  the  lane.  Then  he 
stopped  to  get  an  apple,  for  his  fishing  trip  had 
made  him  hungry  and  he  knew  that  supper  was 
still  a  good  hour  off. 

"  I  wish  I  had  some  other  kind  of  a  job,"  he 
murmured,  with  a  sigh.  "  Somehow,  farming 
doesn't  seem  to  be  just  the  right  thing  for  me. 
Wish  I  was  in  some  big  city." 

"  Hurry  up  with  that  cow ! "  cried  Abner  Bal- 
berry. "  Do  you  think  I'm  going  to  stop  here  all 
night  fer  milkin'?  " 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  7 

"I'm  coming!"  sang-  out  Nat.  "Get  along, 
Jule,  you  old  slow  poke !  " 

He  gave  the  cow  a  slap  on  the  side,  and  away 
she  flew  up  the  lane.  The  boy  followed,  finish- 
ing the  apple  as  he  went. 

As  it  happened  several  cows  were  bunched  up 
near  the  entrance  to  the  lane  and  as  the  new  cow 
appeared,  driven  by  Nat,  the  bunch  scattered. 
Then  Jule  ran  directly  into  the  barnyard. 

"  Hi !  hi !  stop !  "  yelled  Abner  Balberry.  "  Drat 
the  beast!  Stop!" 

But  the  new  cow  did  not  stop',  and  a  moment 
later  she  stepped  into  a  pailful  of  milk,  and  tipped 
it  over.  Then  she  ran  against  another  cow  that 
the  farmer  was  milking.  This  cow  swerved 
around,  and  in  a  twinkling  Abner  Balberry  was 
thrown  on  his  back  and  the  milk  was  sent  flying 
over  him. 


CHAPTER  II 

A  QUARREL  IN   THE  BARNYARD 

THE  sight  of  Abner  Balberry  flat  on  his  back, 
and  with  the  milk  flowing  over  him,  was  a  comical 
one,  and  for  the  instant  Nat  had  to  laugh  out- 
right. 

"Hi!  hi!"  roared  the  farmer.  "Git  away! 
Drat  the  beasts!  Now,  Nat  Nason,  jest  see  what 
you've  done !  " 

He  struggled  to  his  feet,  and  Nat  at  once  be- 
came sober,  for  he  realized  that  trouble  was  at 
hand. 

"  It's  too  bad.  Uncle  Abner "  began  the 

youth. 

"  Too  bad  ?  I  should  say  it  was  too  bad !  "  cried 
the  farmer.  "  An'  all  your  fault,  too !  " 

"  I  can't  see  how  it  was  my  fault.  You  told  me 
to  drive  the  cow  up  here." 

"  Don't  tell  me,  Nat  Nason !  It's  your  fault. 
An'  all  that  fresh  milk  gone  to  waste !  "  Abner 
Balberry  gave  a  groan.  "  I  don't  know  most 
what  I'm  a-goin'  to  do  with  you  fer  this." 

"  I  can't  see  how  it's  my  fault." 

8 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  9 

"  You  made  the  cows  git  frightened." 

"  No,  I  didn't." 

"  Don't  tell  me !  Don't  you  know  that  milk  is 
worth  money  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but— 

"  You  scart  thet  cow  out  o'  her  wits,"  went  on 
the  farmer,  his  rage  growing  as  he  looked  at  the 
spilt  milk.  "  Nat  Nason,  I  tell  you,  you're  a  bad 
boy!" 

To  this  the  youth  made  no  reply. 

"  I'm  a-goin'  to  teach  ye  a  lesson  fer  it !  " 

"Shall  I  milk  Jule?" 

"  Yes,  an'  mind  ye  don't  spill  a  drop  nuther !  " 

Silently  Nat  went  to  work,  and  milked  not  only 
the  new  cow  but  also  two  of  the  others.  By  this 
time  milking  was  over,  and  the  lacteal  fluid  was 
carried  to  the  spring-house  to  cool.  Then  the 
cows  were  allowed  to  wander  down  to  the  pasture 
for  the  night. 

When  Nat  approached  the  kitchen  again  an  ap- 
petizing odor  of  frying  fish  filled  the  air.  The 
boy's  uncle  followed  him. 

"  Supper  is  ready,"  said  Mrs.  Felton,  cheerfully. 
"  You  had  some  trouble  with  the  cows,  didn't 
you?  "  she  continued. 

"It  was  Nat's  fault,"  grumbled  Abner  Bal- 
berry.  -"He  made  them  run  around  an'  upset 
everything.  Nat,  I  said  as  how  I  was  going  to 


io  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

teach  ye  a  lesson.    You  wash  up  an'  go  to  bed  at 
once." 

"  Go  to  bed  ?  "  queried  the  boy. 

"  Thet's  what  I  said,  didn't  I  ?  " 

"  Do  you  mean  right  after  supper?  " 

"  No,  I  mean  before  supper,"  snarled  Abner 
Balberry. 

"  Oh,  isn't  he  to  have  his  supper  first  ?  "  put  in 
the  housekeeper,  timidly. 

"  No,  he  ain't." 

After  this  abrupt  declaration  there  was  an  awk- 
ward pause. 

"  Do  you  want  me  to  go  to  bed  without  my 
supper?"  asked  Nat,  slowly. 

"  That's  what  I  said." 

"  It  isn't  fair." 

"Ain't  it?" 

"  No,  it  isn't.  It  wasn't  my  fault  that  the  milk 
was  spilt,  so  there !  " 

"  You  say  much  more  to  me  an'  I'll  tan  yer 
hide  well  fer  ye !  "  stormed  Abner  Balberry. 

"  Don't  you  want  him  to  have  none  of  the  fish 
he  brought  in  ?  "  asked  the  housekeeper. 

"  The  fish  ain't  worth  much." 

"  Maybe  you'd  like  to  have  all  the  fish  your- 
self ?  "  put  in  Nat,  tartly,  before  he  had  stopped  to 
think. 

Angered   at  this   remark   the   farmer  turned 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  n 

around  and  caught  the  youth  by  the  collar  and  be- 
gan to  shake  him. 

"  I'll  teach  ye  to  talk  back  to  me !  "  he  snarled. 
"  I'll  teach  ye !  Now  go  to  bed,  an'  be  quick 
about  it." 

"  I  want  my  supper !  "  came  doggedly  from 
Nat.  He  felt  that  he  had  earned  the  meal  and  he 
needed  it. 

"  Not  a  mouthful." 

"  If  you  don't  give  me  my  supper  I  won't  work 
for  you  any  more,  Uncle  Abner!  " 

"Wot!  Coin'  to  talk  to  me  like  this!" 
screamed  the  farmer,  and  caught  the  boy  once 
again.  "  Up  to  your  room  with  ye,  before  I 
trounce  ye  well !  " 

He  shook  Nat  fiercely,  and  a  struggle  ensued 
between  the  pair  which  came  to  an  end  when  a 
chair  was  overturned  and  then  a  side  table  on 
which  rested  some  of  the  things  for  supper. 

"  Oh,  the  eating !  "  screamed  the  housekeeper, 
in  alarm.  "  And  the  teapot  is  smashed !  "  she 
added,  sadly. 

"  It's  all  Nat's  fault,"  came  from  Abner  Bal- 
berry.  •  "  He  is  a  good-fer-nuthin',  he  is !  Off  to 
bed  with  ye,  before  I  git  my  horsewhip !  " 

He  opened  the  door  leading  to  the  enclosed 
stairs,  and  fearful  of  another  attack  Nat  retreated. 
As  soon  as  he  was  on  the  stairs,  the  farmer 


12  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

slammed  the  door  shut  and  bolted  it.  A  minute 
later  he  and  Mrs.  Felton  heard  the  youth  ascend 
the  stairs  to  his  own  room. 

"  It  was  kind  of  hard  on  the  boy  to  make  him 
go  to  bed  without  his  supper/'  remarked  the  house- 
keeper, as  she  gathered  up  the  things  on  the  floor. 

"  It's  his  own  fault,"  snorted  the  farmer.  "  He's 
got  to  be  took  down,  he  has !  " 

"  He  hasn't  had  a  mouthful  since  noon,  and  we 
had  a  light  dinner,  too." 

"  I  can't  help  that,  Mrs.  Felton.  I'm  goin'  to 
teach  him  a  lesson." 

"  Nat  is  a  high-spirited  boy,  Mr.  Balberry. 
Maybe  he  won't  stand  for  it." 

"  He  has  got  to  stand  fer  it,"  was  the  answer, 
from  the  sink,  where  the  farmer  was  washing  his 
face  and  hands. 

"But  if  he  won't?" 

"  Wot  can  he  do,  I'd  like  to  know?  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know — but  he  may  do  some- 
thing that  you  least  expect." 

"  He  won't  do  nuthin',"  said  the  farmer,  and 
sank  down  in  his  seat  at  the  table.  "  He  can't  do 
nuthin'.  I  give  him  a  good  home,  but  he  don't 
seem  to  a'preciate  it  nohow." 

To  this  Mrs.  Felton  did  not  reply,  but  set  the 
food  on  the  table.  The  fish  had  not  been  spoilt, 
and  the  farmer  ate  all  he  wished  of  the  dish. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  13 

"  Why  don't  you  eat?  "  he  asked  of  the  house- 
keeper, seeing  that  she  had  abstained  from  touch- 
ing the  fish. 

"  I — I  don't  care  for  it,"  she  answered.  She 
had  in  mind  to  save  what  was  left  and  give  it  to 
Nat  for  his  breakfast. 

"That  boy  is  gittin'  too  big  fer  his  boots," 
went  on  Abner  Balberry.  "  He  acts  like  he  was  of 
age,  an'  he  is  only  sixteen.  Last  week  he  wanted 
to  know  how  soon  I  was  goin'  to  pay  him  reg'lar 
wages." 

"  And  what  did  you  tell  him  ?  " 

"  Told  him  I'd  pay  him  wages  when  he  was 
wuth  it  an'  not  before." 

"  He  does  almost  a  man's  work  now,  doesn't 
he?" 

"  Not  much !  Besides,  don't  I  feed  an'  clothe 
him  an'  give  him  a  comfortable  home?  He's  got 
too  high-falutin'  notions,  he  has !  " 

"  But  don't  you  think  he  ought  to  have  some 
money  ? "  went  on  Mrs.  Felton,  who  could  be  a 
trifle  independent  herself  at  times. 

"  No.  Money  is  the  ruination  o'  young  folks. 
Week  before  last  he  wanted  a  quarter  to  go  to  the 
circus  with,  but  he  didn't  git  it." 

"  Almost  all  of  the  boys  in  this  district  went  to 
the  circus.  Tom  Bradley  told  me  it  was  very  good, 
too." 


14  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Humph !  That  Bradley  boy  is  going  to  tlie 
dogs  as  fast  as  he  can  go." 

"  Deacon  Slide  thinks  he  is  a  very  good  boy." 

"  Well,  the  deacon  don't  know  everything.  I'm 
goin'  to  make  Nat  toe  the  mark  until  he  is  twenty- 
one.  After  that  I'll  wash  my  hands  o'  him." 

The  farmer  finished  his  supper  and  then  went 
out  to  see  that  everything  was  all  right  around  the 
farm  for  the  night.  A  little  later  he  took  a  lamp 
and  went  upstairs.  Tiptoeing  his  way  through  an 
upper  hall  he  came  to  a  pause  in  front  of  Nat's 
room. 

"Asleep,  jest  as  I  thought,"  he  told  himself, 
after  listening  to  the  boy's  breathing.  Then  he 
peeped  into  the  room,  to  behold  Nat  lying  under 
the  cover  of  the  bed,  with  his  face  turned  to  the 
wall. 

"  I'll  give  him  another  talkin'  to  in  the  mornin'," 
the  farmer  told  himself ;  and  then  retired,  with  no 
thought  of  what  was  going  to  happen  before  the 
sun  arose  upon  another  day. 


CHAPTER  III 

NAT   LEAVES  THE   FARM 

FARMER  BALBERRY  was  mistaken ;  Nat  was  not 
asleep,  nor  was  there  any  thought  of  sleep  in  the 
boy's  mind. 

The  youth  had  not  even  gone  to  bed.  He  had 
been  sitting  on  a  chair  by  the  open  window  when 
he  had  heard  his  uncle  coming  upstairs,  and  to  de- 
ceive his  relative  had  jumped  into  bed  and  pulled 
the  blanket  up  over  him. 

When  Nat  was  thrust  up  the  stairs  his  mind 
was  in  a  tumult.  He  felt  that  his  uncle  was  not 
treating  him  fairly — and  he  wanted  his  supper 
very  much. 

It  is  bad  enough  to  have  a  real  grievance  of  any 
kind — it  is  worse  when  one  must  bear  it  on  an 
tinpty  stomach.  As  he  made  his  way  to  his  room 
the  boy  was  in  a  savage  humor  and  fit  to  do 
almost  any  deed. 

"  Uncle  Abner  is  getting  worse  every  day !  "  he 
muttered  to  himself.  "  He  treats  me  worse  ^than 
I  would  treat  a  dog !  " 

Sitting  by  the  open  window  Nat  thought  of 
15 


16  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

many  things — of  the  death  of  his  parents,  and  of 
the  taking  off  of  his  aunt — and  of  how  his  miserly 
uncle  had  treated  him  ever  since. 

"  It's  not  fair !  "  he  told  himself,  over  and  over 
again.  "  Uncle  Abner  doesn't  believe  in  giving  a 
boy  a  fair  show.  I  wish  I  lived  with  somebody 
else." 

The  more  he  thought  over  the  situation  the 
more  he  felt  that  he  ought  not  to  stand  such  treat- 
ment. He  felt  that  he  was  entitled  to  his  supper, 
and  also  to  some  spending  money  if  not  to  regular 
wages.  At  the  present  time  he  had  not  a  cent  in 
the  world. 

"  If  I  had  a  few  dollars  I  might  strike  out  for 
myself,"  he  reasoned.  "  But  I  haven't  even  a  few 
cents.  Wonder  how  I  could  raise  a  few  dollars  ?  " 

As  said  before  Nat's  worldly  possessions  were 
few.  In  his  room  he  had  some  trinkets  from  home 
and  also  an  old  silver  watch  which  had  belonged  to 
his  father. 

"  I  might  sell  the  watch,"  he  thought,  but  then 
decided  that  it  would  be  best  to  keep  the  heirloom. 

Then  he  thought  of  Jennie,  the  white  and  brown 
cow.  As  a  calf  she  had  been  given  to  Nat  by  his 
mother,  and  she  was  now  a  part  of  the  herd  on  the 
Balberry  farm. 

"  Jennie  ought  to  be  worth  twenty  or  twenty- 
five  dollars,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  That's  a  pile  of 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  17 

money,  for  a  start.    Wonder  how  I  could  manage 
to  sell  her?" 

Thus  speculating,  Nat  gradually  drifted  around 
to  the  point  where  he  decided  that  he  would  leave 
the  farm  at  once.  He  had  told  his  uncle  that  he 
wanted  his  supper  or  he  would  not  work  for  the 
man  any  more,  and  he  meant  to  keep  his  word. 

By  the  time  all  was  quiet  around  the  house  and 
he  was  certain  both  the  housekeeper  and  his  uncle 
had  retired,  Nat  had  settled  just  what  he  was  go- 
ing to  do. 

Making  no  noise,  he  slipped  off  his  working 
clothes  and  put  on  his  best  suit — something  just 
a  trifle  better  than  the  others.  He  also  donned  a 
clean  shirt  and  collar  and  necktie  and  got  out 
his  best  hat  and  shoes.  Then,  with  his  other  pos- 
sessions wrapped  in  a  small  bundle,  and  with  his 
shoes  under  his  arm,  he  tiptoed  his  way  out  of  the 
bedchamber,  along  the  hall,  and  down  to  the  lower 
floor  of  the  farmhouse. 

Nat  knew  exactly  where  Mrs.  Feltori  kept  the 
things  to  eat,  so  it  was  not  necessary  for  him  to 
light  a  lamp.  The  use  of  a  match  revealed  as 
much  as  he  wanted  to  know,  and  in  a  short  time 
he  was  devouring  what  was  left  of  the  fish  and  also 
some  bread  and  butter  and  a  generous  quarter  of  a 
cherry  pie,  which  the  housekeeper  had  insisted 
upon  baking  the  day  before,  somewhat  against 


1 8  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

Abner  Balberry's  will,  for  the  farmer  would  rather 
have  sold  the  cherries  at  the  store. 

His  meal  finished,  Nat  hesitated  for  a  moment, 
and  then  got  out  an  old  newspaper.  Into  this  he 
wrapped  half  a  dozen  slices  of  bread  and  butter, 
along  with  a  bit  of  cheese  and  two  rather  stale 
doughnuts. 

"  They'll  come  in  handy  for  breakfast,  along 
with  an  apple  or  two,"  was  the  way  he  reasoned. 
"  Especially  if  I  don't  happen  to  sell  the  cow." 

The  boy's  next  move  was  to  leave  the  house, 
which  he  did  after  tying  his  clothes  and  the  lunch 
into  one  bundle,  which  he  slung  on  a  stick  over  his 
shoulder.  Once  outside,  he  put  on  his  shoes  and 
then  made  his  way  from  the  house  to  the  barn- 
yard, and  then  along  the  lane  leading  to  the  pas- 
ture. 

The  late  moon  was  showing  over  the  hills  and 
the  heavens  were  bright  with  stars,  so  it  was  by 
no  means  dark.  As  he  entered  the  lane  Nat  looked 
back,  to  see  if  his  departure  from  the  house  had 
been  discovered. 

A  sight  met  his  gaze  which  caused  his  heart  to 
jump.  A  man  was  crossing  the  dooryard  and 
coming  toward  the  barn ! 

"  It  must  be  Uncle  Abner !  "  he  thought.  "  Per- 
haps he  heard  me  leave  after  all !  " 

He  looked  back  again,  but  could  not  see  the  man 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  19 

now,  and  then  broke  into  a  run.  Soon  a  row  of 
trees  in  the  orchard  hid  both  the  barn  and  the 
house  from  view.  He  continued  to  run,  however, 
and  did  not  slacken  his  pace  until  he  reached  the 
pasture  where  the  cows  were  at  rest. 

Jennie  did  not  relish  having  her  rest  disturbed 
and  had  to  be  prodded  several  times  before  she 
would  arise  and  move  in  the  direction  he  desired. 
Some  of  the  other  cows  wished  to  follow,  but  he 
drove  them  back. 

"  I  only  want  my  own,"  he  murmured  half 
aloud.  "  I  don't  want  a  thing  that  belongs  to 
Uncle  Abner." 

Nat  had  expected  to  take  to  the  highway  which 
ran  directly  beside  the  house.  But  he  was  afraid 
that  his  uncle  \vas  watching  for  him  from  the 
barn,  and  so  he  drove  Jennie  along  a  back  road, 
leading  to  another  highway  which  was  but  little 
traveled  and  which  had  along  it  only  a  handful  of 
farmhouses. 

"  He  shan't  catch  me  if  I  can  help  it,"  the  boy 
told  himself.  "  Now  I've  left  I'm  going  to  stay 
away." 

Nat  was  still  very  much  agitated  in  his  mind, 
so  no  thought  of  sleep  came  to  him  as  he  trudged 
along,  mile  after  mile,  driving  the  tired  cow  be- 
fore him.  He  met  not  a  soul;  and  thus  he  pro- 
gressed until  three  o'clock  in  the  morning. 


20  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

Boy  and  cow  had  now  been  on  the  road  six 
hours  and  Jennie  refused  to  go  further.  Seeing 
this,  he  turned  into  a  small  patch  of  woods  and 
there  tied  the  creature  to  a  tree.  Then,  finding  a 
sheltered  nook,  he  threw  himself  down  to  rest  and 
was  soon  fast  asleep. 

"  Hullo,  there,  what  are  you  doing  here  ?  " 

Such  was  the  demand  which  aroused  Nat 
several  hours  later,  and  he  sprang  up  to  find  him- 
self confronted  by  a  farmer  boy  of  about  his  own 
age. 

"  Hullo,  Sam,"  he  answered.  "  I — I  was  driv- 
ing the  cow  to  market  and  I  got  so  tired  I  thought 
I'd  take  a  nap." 

"  Going  to  sell  the  cow  ?  "  asked  San,  Price. 

"  Yes,  if  I  can." 

"  Where?" 

"  Over  to  Brookville,  if  anybody  will  buy  her." 

"  Jackson  the  butcher  was  after  cows  only  day 
before  yesterday." 

"  Then  maybe  I'll  go  and  see  him." 

"  You  must  have  got  an  early  start,"  went  on 
Sam  Price. 

"  I  did.  But  I  must  hurry  along,"  continued 
Nat,  not  caring  to  answer  too  many  questions. 
"  I  slept  too  long." 

1  You'd  better  hurry.  Your  uncle  ain't  the  one 
to  let  you  play,  is  he  ?  " 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  21 

"  You're  right,  Sam/' 

"  What  does  he  want  you  to  get  for  the  cow  ?  " 

"  It  isn't  his  cow.  She  belongs  to  me.  I  had 
her  from  the  time  she  was  a  little  calf,  and  I've  a 
right  to  sell  her." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  remember  now.  Well,  I  hope  you 
get  a  good  price  for  her." 

"  I'll  get  as  much  as  I  can/* 

"  Want  me  to  go  along?  " 

''  You  can  go  along  if  you  wish." 

"  All  right,  I  haven't  anything  else  to  do  for 
a  while." 

"  But  I  want  to  tell  you  one  thing,  Sam.  Can 
you  keep  a  secret  ?  " 

"  Can  T  °    Try  me  and  see." 

"You 'won't  tell  a  soul?" 

"  I'll  give  you  my  word.    But  what's  up?  " 

"  I'm  not  coming  back." 

"What!" 

"  It's  a  fact." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  you  are  going  to  run 
away?  " 

"  That's  the  plain  English  of  it,  Sam.  I'm  tired 
of  living  with  my  uncle.  He  doesn't  treat  me 
fairly." 

"  I  believe  that.  My  father  thinks  he  is  the 
meanest  man  in  the  State  of  Ohio." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  about  that,  but  he  is  pretty 


22  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

mean,  I  can  tell  you  that.  I'm  not  going  to  stand 
it  any  longer." 

"  Where  are  you  going?  " 

"  I  don't  know  yet.  Most  likely  to  one  of  the 
big  cities.  Somehow,  I  think  I  could  do  better  in 
a  city  than  on  a  farm." 

"  Do  you?  Now  I  think  a  country  boy  has  no 
show  in  a  big  city.  He  don't  know  the  ways,  and 
he  is  sure  to  get  cheated  out  of  his  eyes — so  my 
father  says." 

"  They  won't  cheat  me,"  said  Nat,  decidedly. 

"  Father  says  every  big  city  is  full  of  sharpers, 
on  the  watch  for  greenies." 

"Well,  they  shan't  catch  me  for  a  greeny," 
answered  Nat. 

Alas  for  poor  Nat !  Little  did  he  dream  of  what 
was  in  store  for  him,  and  of  the  little  trap  into 
which  he  was  to  fall  as  soon  as  he  arrived  in  New 
York  City. 


CHAPTER  IV 
ABNER  BALBERRY'S  DISCOVERY 

"NAT!" 

Abner  Balberry  uttered  the  name  in  a  loud,  clear 
voice  and  waited  fully  a  minute  for  an  answer. 

"  Nat !  "  he  repeated.  "  I  want  you  to  answer 
me,  do  you  hear  ?  Nat !  " 

Still  there  was  no  reply,  and  now,  in  some 
alarm,  Abner  Balberry  turned  back  into  his  bed- 
chamber and  donned  part  of  his  clothing. 

"  If  that  boy  is  moving  around  this  house  I'm 
goin'  to  know  it,"  he  murmured  to  himself,  as  he 
felt  his  way  toward  Nat's  room.  Coming  to  the 
door,  he  threw  it  open  and  took  a  step  toward  the 
bed. 

As  we  already  know,  it  was  empty.  The  dis- 
covery was  something  of  a  shock  to  the  farmer  and 
for  the  moment  he  stood  stock-still,  gazing  at  the 
bed  and  feeling  under  the  covers  to  make  certain 
that  his  nephew  was  not  really  there. 

"  Gone!  "  he  muttered  at  last.  "  He  must  be 
downstairs.  More'n  likely  he  went  down  to  git 

23 


24  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

somethin'  to  eat.  Wait  till  I  catch  him !  I'll  tan 
him  well!" 

Hoping  to  catch  Nat  unawares,  he  tiptoed  his 
way  down  the  stairs  and  entered  the  living  room. 
Then  he  passed  to  the  kitchen  and  the  shed,  and 
came  back  to  peer  into  the  parlor.  Not  a  trace  of 
the  lad  was  to  be  found  anywhere. 

"  I  certainly  heard  him,"  he  reasoned.  "  I  cer- 
tainly did/' 

"  Mr.  Balberry !  "  The  call  came  from  the 
housekeeper.  "  Are  you  up  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  am." 

"  Oh,  all  right." 

"  But  it  ain't  all  right !    Nat's  up  too." 

"  Is  he  down  there  with  you  ?  " 

"  No,  I  don't  know  at  all  where  he  is.  I'm 
a-lookin'  fer  him." 

By  this  time  Mrs.  Felton's  curiosity  was  aroused 
and  she  lost  no  time  in  slipping  on  her  wrapper. 
.When  she  came  down  she  brought  with  her  a  lamp. 

"  Where  do  you  suppose  he  went  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  How  do  I  know  ?  "  snarled  Abner  Balberry. 

The  housekeeper  happened  to  glance  into  the 
pantry.  She  was  about  to  utter  an  exclamation, 
but  checked  herself. 

"  What  did  you  say,  Mrs.  Felton?  " 

"  I — I  didn't  say  anything." 

"He  ain't  in  there,  is  he?" 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  25 

"  No." 

"  Has  he  been  at  the  victuals?  " 

"  Not — not  very  much/'  stammered  the  house- 
keeper. 

"  Humph !  I  guess  he  ate  as  much  as  he 
wanted.  Jest  wait  till  I  catch  him — I'll  tan  him 
harder  than  he  was  ever  tanned  before!  " 

"  Maybe  he  went  to  bed  again." 

"  No,  I  jest  looked  into  his  room/' 

Abner  Balberry  unlocked  the  kitchen  door  and 
stepped  out  into  the  dooryard.  As  he  did  this  he 
caught  sight  of  somebody  running  swiftly  down 
the  road. 

"  Hi !  Stop!  "  he  yelled.  "  Stop,  Nat,  do  you 
hear?" 

To  this  there  was  no  answer,  and  the  fleeing  in- 
dividual merely  ran  the  faster. 

"  Was  it  Nat  ?  "  asked  the  housekeeper. 

"  To  be  sure  it  was.  Oh,  wait  till  I  lay  my 
hands  on  him !  "  And  the  farmer  shook  his  fist 
at  the  figure  that  was  fast  disappearing  in  the 
gloom. 

"  What's  that  light  in  the  barn  ?  "  demanded 
Mrs.  Felton,  an  instant  later. 

"Light?    Where?" 

"  Up  in  the  haymow." 

Abner  Balberry  gave  a  glance  toward  the  struc- 
ture. 


26  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  The  barn's  afire !  "  he  screamed.  "  Thet  good- 
fer-nuthin'  boy  has  set  the  place  on  fire ! " 

"  Oh !  oh !  "  screamed  the  housekeeper,  and  be- 
gan to  tremble  from  head  to  feet,  for  to  her  mind 
a  fire  was  the  most  dreadful  thing  that  could  hap- 
pen. 

"  I've  got  to  git  thet  fire  out,"  said  the  farmer, 
and  ran  toward  the  barn  with  all  speed. 

"  Be  careful,  or  you'll  be  burnt  up !  "  screamed 
Mrs.  Felton. 

"Go  on  an'  git  the  water  pails!"  said  the 
farmer.  "  Fill  everything  with  water.  An'  bring1 
a  rag  carpet,  an'  I'll  soak  thet  too !  " 

He  already  had  an  old  patch  of  carpet  used  at 
the  doorstep  in  his  hand,  and  this  he  soused  in  the 
watering  trough  as  he  passed.  Then  he  ran  into 
the  open  barn  and  mounted  to  the  loft. 

The  fire  was  in  a  patch  of  hay  at  one  end  of  the 
loft,  close  to  an  open  window.  Regardless  of  his 
personal  safety,  Abner  Balberry  leaped  in  and 
threw  part  of  the  hay  out  of  the  window.  Then 
he  began  to  beat  out  the  fire  with  the  water-soaked 
carpet. 

"  Here's  some  water,"  came  timidly  from  below, 
and  Mrs.  Felton  appeared  with  two  pails  full  to 
the  brim.  He  took  these  upstairs  and  dashed  them 
on  the  flames. 

"  You  look  out  or  you'll  be  burnt  up !  "  cried  the 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  27 

housekeeper.  She  was  trembling  to  such  a  degree 
that  she  could  scarcely  stand. 

"  Git  some  more  water,"  was  Abner  Balberry's 
only  reply.  The  thought  that  his  barn  might  be 
totally  destroyed  filled  him  with  dread,  for  there 
was  no  insurance  on  the  structure — he  being  too 
miserly  to  pay  the  premium  demanded  by  the  in- 
surance company. 

More  water  was  procured  by  Mrs.  Felton,  and 
at  last  it  was  apparent  that  the  farmer  was  getting 
the  best  of  the  fire.  He  worked  hard  and  did  not 
seem  to  mind  the  fact  that  his  eyebrows  were 
singed  and  his  hands  slightly  blistered. 

"  There !  now  I've  got  it !  "  he  sighed  at  last. 

"Are  you  sure?"  asked  the  housekeeper  in  a 
faint  voice. 

"  Yes,  but  I'm  a-goin'  to  hunt  around  fer 
sparks.  Git  some  more  water." 

Additional  water  was  soon  at  hand,  and  Abner 
Balberry  began  a  minute  search  of  the  whole  loft, 
on  the  lookout  for  stray  sparks.  A  few  were 
found  and  extinguished,  and  then  the  excitement 
came  to  an  end. 

"  How  thankful  I  am  that  the  barn  didn't  burn 
down,"  said  the  housekeeper,  as  the  farmer  came 
below  and  began  to  bathe  his  face  and  hands. 

"  It  was  hot  work." 

"  Are  you  burnt  much  ?  " 


»S  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  More'n  I  want  to  be.  Jest  wait  till  I  catch 
Nat!" 

"  Do  you  think "  began  the  housekeeper. 

"  O'  course  I  do !  "  snorted  Abner  Balberry. 
"  Didn't  I  see  him  a-runnin'  away  from  the 
barn?" 

"  I  never  thought  Nat  would  be  wicked  enough 
to  set  a  barn  on  fire." 

"  He  was  mad  because  I  wouldn't  give  him  no 
supper.  He's  a  young  rascal,  he  is !  " 

"  But  to  burn  a  barn !  " 

"  Thet  boy  has  got  to  be  taken  in  hand,  Mrs. 
Felton.  I've  let  him  have  his  own  way  too  much. 
I'm  goin'  to  lay  down  the  law  good  an'  hard  after 
this." 

"  Maybe  he  won't  come  back,"  suggested  the 
housekeeper. 

This  thought  startled  the  farmer  and  he  lost  no 
time  in  finishing  his  washing. 

"  I'm  goin'  after  him,"  he  announced.  "  If  he 
thinks  to  run  away  I'll  put  a  spoke  in  his  wheel 
putty  quick." 

Taking  another  look  around,  to  make  certain 
that  the  fire  was  really  out,  Abner  Balberry 
brought  out  one  of  his  horses  and  hitched  the  ani- 
mal to  a  buckboard,  in  the  meantime  sending  the 
housekeeper  back  to  the  house  to  get  his  hat  and 
coat. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  29 

"Where  do  you  suppose  you'll  find  him?" 
asked  Mrs.  Felton. 

"  Somewhere  along  the  road  most  likely." 

"  Maybe  he'll  hide  on  you." 

"  He  had  better  not.  If  he  does  that,  I'll  call  on 
the  squire  about  him." 

"  Can  you  do  that?" 

"  O'  course  I  can.  Didn't  he  try  to  burn  down 
the  barn  ?  The  squire  can  make  out  a  warrant  for 
his  arrest." 

"  It  would  be  awful  to  have  him  arrested." 

"  Well,  he  brought  it  on  himself,"  answered 
Abner  Balberry,  doggedly.  "  He  had  no  right  to 
try  to  set  the  barn  afire.  Next  thing  you  know, 
Mrs.  Felton,  he'll  be  a-trying  to  burn  us  up  in  our 
beds." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  think  Nat  would  be  as  bad  as 
that." 

"  You  don't  know  thet  boy  as  well  as  I  do. 
He's  sly  an'  stubborn,  and  he'll  do  'most  anything 
when  he's  crossed.  But  I'll  fix  him!  Jest  you 
wait  an'  see !  " 

"  How  far  will  you  follow  him  ?  " 

"  As  far  as  it's  necessary.  If  he  thinks  he  can 
git  away  from  me  he'll  find  out,  sooner  or  later,  he 
is  mistaken." 

"  You  don't  know  when  you'll  be  back  ?  " 

"  No.     It  may  be  I'll  have  to'  wait  in  town  till 


30  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

the  squire  opens  his  office — that  is,  if  I  can't  find 
Nat." 

"  But  you  are  going  to  look  for  him  yourself 
first?" 

"  Yes." 

With  this  answer  Abner  Balberry  drove  off  in 
the  darkness.  Mrs.  Felton  watched  him  and 
heaved  a  long  and  deep  sigh. 

"  Too  bad !  "  she  murmured.  "  If  he  catches 
Nat  it  will  surely  go  hard  with  that  boy.  Well, 
I  didn't  think  he  was  bad  enough  to  set  fire  to  a 
barn!" 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  SALE  OF  A  COW 

TOTALLY  unconscious  of  what  had  taken  place 
at  the  farm  after  his  departure,  Nat,  in  company 
with  his  friend,  Sam  Price,  proceeded  on  his  way 
to  Brookville. 

On  the  journey  Nat  told  his  friend  of  many 
things  that  had  happened  to  him  and  of  his  uncle's 
meanness. 

"  I  don't  wonder  you  want  a  change,"  said 
Sam.  "  I'd  want  a  change  myself." 

At  last  they  came  in  sight  of  Brookville,  and 
Nat  drove  the  cow  to  the  yard  of  Jackson  the 
butcher. 

The  butcher  was  a  fat,  good-natured  man  of 
middle  age.  But  he  was  a  shrewd  business  man 
and  first-class  at  driving  a  bargain. 

"  What  do  you  want,  boy  ?  "  he  asked  of  Nat. 

"  Do  you  want  to  buy  a  cow,  Mr.  Jackson  ? 
Sam  says  you  were  out  looking  for  cows  day  be- 
fore yesterday." 

"  I  did  want  cows  then,  but  I've  got  nearly  all 
I  want  now." 

3* 


32  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Oh,  then  I'll  go  elsewhere,"  answered  Nat. 

"  Hold  on,  not  so  fast.  What  do  you  want  for 
your  cow  ?  " 

"  Thirty  dollars." 

"  Phew !  you  don't  want  much." 

"  She's  worth  it.  You  can  milk  her  or  use  her 
for  meat,  just  as  you  choose." 

"  Whose  cow  is  she?  " 

"  Mine." 

"  Yours  ?  "  And  the  butcher  gazed  at  Nat 
curiously. 

:<  Yes.  I've  owned  her  ever  since  she  was  a 
little  calf." 

"  And  now  you  are  tired  of  her?  " 

"  Not  exactly  that,  but  I  want  to  use  the  money. 
Will  you  buy  her?" 

"  Yes,  but  not  for  thirty  dollars." 

"  How  much  will  you  give  ?  " 

"  Twenty  dollars." 

"  I  don't  care  to  sell  for  twenty  dollars.** 

"  That's  the  best  I  can  do." 

"  Then  Fll  have  to  go  elsewhere.  Come,  Jen- 
nie," and  Nat  turned  to  drive  the  cow  from  the 
butcher's  yard  again. 

"  Hold  on !  "  cried  the  meat  man.  "  I'll  give 
you  twenty-two  dollars." 

"  Make  it  twenty-five  and  I'll  accept.  I  can't 
take  less.  I  ought  to  get  thirty  dollars." 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  33 

There  was  some  more  talk,  and  in  the  end,  the 
butcher  agreed  to  pay  twenty-five  dollars  and  did 
so.  He  wanted  a  receipt,  and  Nat  wrote  it  out  for 
him. 

"  So  you  are  Nat  Nason,"  said  the  butcher.  "  I 
used  to  know  your  father.  A  very  nice  man." 

"  He  was  a  nice  man." 

"  Live  with  your  uncle  now,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  living  with  him,  yes.  Good-day, 
and  much  obliged,"  returned  the  boy,  and  to  avoid 
being  questioned  further  he  left  the  yard  at  once, 
followed  by  Sam. 

'  You  made  a  good  bargain  on  the  cow,"  said 
Sam.  "  I  reckon  you  got  every  cent  she  was 
worth." 

"  She  was  a  good  cow,  Sam.  I'm  rather  sorry 
to  part  with  her.  She  was  almost  like  a  friend." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  next?  " 

"  Strike  out  for  the  city." 

"  I  wish  you  luck." 

"  You  won't  tell  my  uncle?  " 

"  Not  a  word.     But,  say." 

"Well?" 

"  When  you  get  to  the  city  write  and  tell  me 
how  you  like  it." 

"  I  will,  Sam,  and  you  must  tell  me  the  news 
from  home,  and  how  my  uncle  gets  along  without 


34  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

So  it  was  arranged ;  and  a  few  minutes  later  the 
two  lads  separated,  and  Sam  Price  started  for 
home. 

Brookville  was  on  a  small  branch  railroad  run- 
ning to  Cleveland,  and  by  consulting  a  time-table 
Nat  learned  that  a  train  for  Cleveland  would  leave 
in  ten  minutes.  He  lost  no  time  in  purchasing  a 
ticket,  and  spent  the  rest  of  the  time  in  eating  some 
of  the  lunch  he  had  brought  along.  With  over 
twenty-three  dollars  still  in  his  pocket  he  felt  rich, 
and  bought  some  peanuts  and  a  cake  of  sweet 
chocolate. 

When  the  train  came  along  there  were  scarcely 
any  passengers  aboard,  so  he  had  little  difficulty 
in  getting  the  seat  he  wanted.  He  sat  down  by  a 
window,  with  his  bundle  beside  him,  and  gave 
himself  up  to  thinking  and  to  looking  at  the 
scenery  as  it  whirled  past. 

Nat  had  traveled  but  little  on  the  cars,  so  the 
ride  to  Cleveland  was  intensely  enjoyable.  The 
different  places  passed  were  so  interesting  that  he 
soon  forgot  to  think  about  his  prospects,  or  of 
what  he  was  to  do  when  he  arrived  at  the  city  on 
the  lake. 

"  Next  stop  is  Cleveland !  "  cried  the  conductor, 
standing  at  the  open  doorway.  "  All  change,  for 
trains  east  and  west !  " 

A  moment  later  the  train  rolled  into  the  smoky 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  35 

station,  and  bundle  in  hand,  Nat  left  the  car  and 
stepped  onto  the  platform.  From  there  he  walked 
to  the  street,  where  he  gazed  in  some  bewilder- 
ment at  the  crowds  of  people  and  the  swiftly 
moving  street  cars. 

"  Paper !  "  cried  a  newsboy.  "  Morning 
paper?" 

"  No,  I  don't  want  any  paper/'  answered  Nat. 

"  All  about  the  big  fire  in  Chicago,  boss.  Take 
a  paper  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I'll  take  one,"  said  Nat,  and  passed  over 
the  necessary  change.  Off  darted  the  newsboy,  to 
be  lost  in  the  crowd  on  the  other  side  of  the  street. 
Nat  gazed  at  the  paper,  to  find  that  a  tenement 
had  burned  out  in  Chicago,  with  the  loss  of  one 
life. 

"That's  not  such  a  terrible  thing — for  a  big 
city  like  Chicago,"  he  mused,  and  then  noticed  that 
the  newspaper  was  two  days  old. 

"  That  boy  stuck  me !  "  he  muttered,  and  a  cloud 
crossed  his  face.  "  I  wonder  where  he  is  ?  " 

The  boy  could  not  be  found,  and  in  a  moment 
Nat  concluded  it  would  be  a  waste  of  time  to  look 
for  him. 

"  He  caught  me  for  a  greeny,  true  enough,"  he 
thought.  "  I've  got  to  keep  my  eyes  open  after 
this." 

From  one  street  Nat  passed  to  another,  gazing 


36  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

into  the  shop  windows,  and  wondering  what  he 
had  best  do  next.  He  had  at  first  calculated  to  go 
to  New  York  without  delay,  but  now  thought  it 
would  do  no  harm  to  remain  in  Cleveland  a  day 
or  two. 

"  Perhaps  I'll  never  get  here  again,"  he  rea- 
soned. "And  I  might  as  well  see  all  there  is  to 
see." 

Noon  found  him  on  one  of  the  main  streets.  He 
was  now  hungry  again,  and  coming  to  a  modest- 
looking  restaurant,  he  entered  and  sat  down  at  a 
side  table. 

"  What  will  you  have?  "  asked  the  waiter,  com- 
ing up  to  him. 

"  Give  me  a  regular  dinner,"  said  Nat,  seeing 
the  sign  on  the  wall : 

Regular  Dinner,  II  to  2.    jo  cents. 

The  waiter  walked  off,  and  presently  returned 
with  some  bread  and  butter. 

"  Pea  or  tomato  soup?  "  he  asked. 

"  What's  that?  "  questioned  the  boy. 

"  Pea  or  tomato  soup?  " 

"  I  don't  want  any  soup — I  want  a  regular  din- 
ner." 

At  this  the  waiter  smiled,  for  he  saw  that  Nat 
was  green. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  37 

"  We  serve  soup  first — if  the  customer  wants 
it." 

"  And  what  do  you  serve  after  that  ?  " 

"  One  kind  of  meat,  vegetables,  coffee  or  milk, 
and  pie  or  pudding." 

"  Oh !  Well  bring  me  the  meat  and  other 
stuff.  I  never  cared  for  soup  anyway." 

"  Roast  beef  or  lamb?" 

"  Roast  beef." 

The  waiter  went  off,  and  presently  Nat  was 
supplied  with  all  he  cared  to  eat.  The  food  was 
good,  and  he  took  his  time,  finishing  off  with  a 
piece  of  lemon  meringue  pie,  a  dainty  of  which  he 
was  exceedingly  fond,  but  which  Mrs.  Felton  had 
seldom  dared  to  make. 

"  Thirty  cents,  but  I  guess  it  was  worth  it,"  he 
thought,  as  he  left  the  restaurant. 

Nat  had  never  seen  Lake  Erie,  and  toward  the 
middle  of  the  afternoon  he  walked  down  in  the  di- 
re^tion  of  the  water.  The  shipping  interested  him 
greatly,  and  it  was  dark  before  he  realized  that 
the  day  was  gone  without  anything  definite  being 
accomplished. 

"  Gracious,  how  time  flies  when  one  is  in  the 
city !  "  he  thought.  "  To-morrow,  I  must  make  up 
my  mind  what  to  do  next.  If  I  don't,  I'll  have  my 
money  spent,  and  no  job,  either." 

As  it  grew  darker  the  boy  felt  the  necessity  of 


38  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

looking  for  accommodations  for  the  night.  See- 
ing a  sign  on  a  house,  Furnished  Rooms  by  the 
Day,  Week,  or  Month,  he  ascended  the  stoop,  and 
rang  the  bell.  A  young  Irish  girl  answered  his 
summons. 

"  Can  I  get  a  bed  for  to-night?  "  asked  Nat. 

"  I  guess  yez  can— I'll  call  Mrs.  O'Hara,"  said 
the  girl. 

The  landlady  soon  showed  herself,  and  said  she 
could  let  Nat  have  a  hall  room  for  fifty  cents.  To 
the  boy's  notion  this  seemed  rather  high. 

"  I  can't  take  less/'  said  Mrs.  O'Hara..  firmly. 

"Very  well;  I'll  take  the  room  for  to-night," 
answered  Nat.  "  Can  I  put  my  bundle  up  there 
now  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure." 

Fortunately  for  Nat,  the  room  proved  clean  and 
well-kept,  and  the  bed  was  better  than  the  one  he 
had  used  at  the  farm.  Tired  out,  the  boy  slept 
soundly  until  seven  o'clock,  when  he  lost  no  time 
in  dressing  and  going  below. 

"  Will  you  want  the  room  again  to-night,  Mr. 
Nason  ?  "  asked  the  landlady. 

"  I  don't  think  so,"  answered  Nat.  It  made 
him  feel  a  foot  taller  to  be  addressed  as  Mr.  Nason. 
"  If  I  want  it,  I'll  let  you  know  by  supper  time." 

"  Very  well." 

With  his  bundle  under  his  arm,  Nat  left  the 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  39 

house,  and  walked  clown  the  street  toward  one  of 
the  main  thoroughfares  of  Cleveland.  Then  he 
stopped  at  a  restaurant  for  breakfast. 

"  Now,  I've  got  to  make  up  my  mind  what  to 
do,"  he  told  himself.  "  Maybe  I  had  better  go 
back  to  the  depot  and  see  about  a  train  and  the 
fare  to  New  York." 

After  making  several  false  turns,  the  boy  found 
his  way  to  the  depot,  and  there  hunted  up  the 
ticket  office,  and  procured  a  time-table.  He  was 
just  looking  into  the  time-table  when  he  felt  a 
heavy  hand  placed  on  his  shoulder. 

"  So  I've  found  you,  have  I  ?  "  came  harshly 
from  Abner  Balberry.  "  You  young  rascal,  what 
do  you  mean  by  runnin'  away?  " 


CHAPTER  VI 

NAT    ON    LAKE    ERIE 

NAT  was  so  completely  astonished  by  the  un- 
expected appearance  of  his  uncle  and  guardian, 
that  for  the  moment  he  did  not  know  what  to  say 
or  do. 

f  Thought  you  was  goin*  to  run  away,  didn't 
you  ?  "  continued  Abner  Balberry,  with  a  gleam 
of  triumph  in  his  small  eyes. 

"  Let  go  of  me,"  answered  Nat,  trying  to  pull 
away. 

"  I  ain't  a-goin'  to,  Nat  Nason.  You're  a-goin' 
back  with  me,  an'  on  the  next  train/' 

"  I'm  not  going  back,  Uncle  Abner." 

"What!" 

"  I  said  I'm  not  going  back,  so  there,"  repeated 
Nat,  desperately.  "  You  don't  treat  me  half  de- 
cently, and  I'm  going  to  strike  out  for  myself." 

"  Jest  to  hear  the  boy !  You  are  a-goin'  back. 
Nice  doin's,  I  must  say !  What  did  you  mean  by 
trying  to  burn  down  the  barn?  " 

"  Burn  down  the  barn  ?  " 

"  That's  wot  I  said." 

40 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  41 

"  I  never  burned  down  any  barn.  Is  the  barn 
burned  down  ?  " 

"  No ;  because  I  put  out  the  fire." 

"When  was  this?" 

"  You  know  well  enough." 

"  I  don't  know  a  word  about  it,  Uncle  Xbner." 

"  You  set  the  barn  afire." 

"Never!" 

"  You  did !    An'  you've  got  to  go  back." 

"  Uncle  Abner,  I  never  set  fire  to  a  thing," 
gasped  Nat.  "  I  left  because  you  worked  me  to 
death,  and  because  you  wouldn't  let  me  have  my 
supper.  After  this,  I'm  going  to  earn  my  own 
living  in  my  own  way." 

'  You're  goin'  back,"  snarled  the  farmer. 

For  answer,  Nat  gave  a  sudden  ierk  and  pulled 
hip- oelf  from  his  uncle's  grasp.  Then  he  started 
to  run  from  the  depot  at  his  best  speed. 

"  Hi !  stop !  "  yelled  the  farmer.  "  Stop  thet 
boy.  I'm  his  guardian,  and  he  is  runnin'  away 
from  me." 

The  cry  was  taken  up  on  all  sides,  and  soon  a 
crowd  of  a  dozen  men  and  boys  were  in  pursuit  of 
Nat,  who  by  this  time  had  reached  the  street. 

Nat  had  always  been  fleet  of  foot,  and  now  a 
new  fear  lent  strength  to  his  flying  feet.  He  was 
accused  of  setting  fire  to  the  barn !  Perhaps  his 
nncle  would  have  him  arrested  and  sent  to  prison. 


42  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  He  shan't  do  it,"  he  muttered.  "  I  must  get 
away,  somehow." 

Down  one  street  after  another  went  poor  Nat, 
with  the  crowd  behind  him  growing  steadily 
larger.  Some  thought  they  were  after  a  thief, 
and  some  a  murderer,  and  soon  two  policemen 
joined  in  the  chase. 

Coming  to  an  alley  way,  Nat  darted  through  it 
to  a  side  street,  and  then  around  a  corner  to  a 
thoroughfare  leading  down  to  the  docks.  This 
threw  the  crowd  off  the  trail  for  a  moment,  and 
gave  him  a  brief  breathing  spell. 

Reaching  the  docks  fronting  the  lake,  the  boy 
came  to  a  halt.  Not  far  off  was  a  steamboat,  get- 
ting ready  to  cast  off. 

"  Where  does  that  boat  go  to?  "  he  asked  of  a 
man  standing  near. 

;<  That's  the  boat  for  Buffalo,"  was  the  answer. 

"  And  when  does  she  leave  ?  " 

"  She  is  getting  ready  to  leave  now." 

'  Then  that's  the  boat  I  want,"  came  from  Nat, 
and  he  rushed  to  the  end  of  the  dock,  and  up  the 
gangplank  with  all  speed.  A  moment  later  the 
gangplank  was  withdrawn,  and  the  steamboat 
started  on  her  trip  down  Lake  Erie. 

Trembling  with  excitement,  Nat  entered  the 
cabin,  and  from  the  window  looked  back  to  the 
dock  they  had  just  left.  It  was  not  long  before  he 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  43 

beheld  Abner  Balberry  and  several  others,  on  the 
dock,  gazing  up  and  down  in  perplexity.  They 
did  not  know  whether  the  boy  was  on  the  boat,  or 
in  hiding  close  by. 

"  What  a  narrow  escape !  "  thought  Nat,  when 
the  dock  had  faded  from  view.  "  In  another 
minute  Uncle  Abner  would  have  collared  me. 
sure/' 

"  Had  to  run  pretty  hard  to  catch  the  boat, 
didn't  you  ?  "  remarked  a  man  sitting  beside  him. 

"  Yes/'  answered  Nat. 

"  Bound  for  Buffalo,  I  suppose." 

"  Yes." 

"  First  visit  to  that  city?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  vVell,  it's  a  fine  city  to  visit,  I  can  tell  you. 
Of  course  you'll  run  up  to  look  at  Niagara  Falls?  " 

"  I  hadn't  thought  of  that." 

"  It's  not  very  far  away,  you  know.  The  trol- 
ley cars  run  from  Buffalo  to  the  Falls  and  back." 

"  Then  I'll  certainly  have  to  go  up  and  look  at 
the  Falls,"  answered  the  boy. 

He  was  too  excited  to  make  up  his  mind  just 
what  to  do  next,  and  so  walked  away  from  the 
man.  Finding  a  secluded  corner  of  the  deck,  he 
sat  down  on  a  camp  stool  to  think  the  situation 
over. 

The    fact    that    his    uncle    believed    he    had 


44  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

tried  to  burn  down  the  barn  filled  him  with  alarm. 
Certainly,  the  building  must  have  been  set  on  fire, 
but  who  had  done  the  base  deed  ? 

"  Perhaps  that  man  I  took  to  be  Uncle  Abner !  " 
he  cried  to  himself.  Up  to  the  present  time  he 
had  forgotten  about  seeing  that  individual  in  the 
semi-darkness  while  on  the  way  to  get  the  cow. 

The  weather  was  warm  and  pleasant,  and  had 
Nat  been  less  disturbed  in  mind  he  would  have  en- 
joyed the  trip  on  Lake  Erie  thoroughly.  Even  as 
it  was,  he  gazed  at  the  great  lake  in  wonder. 

"  If  this  is  only  a  lake,  what  must  the  ocean 
be !  "  he  mused.  "  When  I  get  to  New  York,  I'll 
have  to  take  a  trip  to  Coney  Island,  or  some  other 
ocean  beach." 

The  boat  Nat  was  on  carried  more  freight  than 
passengers,  and  made  half  a  dozen  landings  be- 
fore Buffalo  was  reached.  But  the  boy  thought 
the  craft  one  of  the  best  on  the  lake,  and  wandered 
over  her  from  end  to  end  with  great  interest. 
At  noon  he  purchased  a  light  lunch,  and  at  sup- 
per time  a  sandwich  and  a  glass  of  milk. 

'  They  charge  pretty  stiff  prices  on  a  boat," 
he  thought,  after  paying  over  his  money.  "  I've 
got  to  live  cheaper  after  this,  or  I'll  be  a  beggar 
before  I  settle  down  and  find  something  to  do." 

It  was  dark  when  Buffalo  was  reached,  and  here 
Nat  was  more  bewildered  than  he  had  been  on  ar- 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  45 

riving  at  Cleveland.  He  followed  the  crowd  up 
from  the  dock  to  one  of  the  main  streets,  and  then 
stood  on  a  corner,  not  knowing  which  way  to 
turn,  or  what  to  do  next. 

"  What  a  terrible  lot  of  people  and  cars !  "  was 
his  mental  comment.  "  It's  enough  to  make  a 
fellow's  head  swim." 

He  felt  that  it  would  be  useless  to  try  to  do  any- 
thing that  night,  and  so  looked  around  for  a 
cheap  lodging  house.  Soon  he  found  a  place 
where  beds  could  be  had  for  twenty-five  cents  a 
night,  and  he  entered. 

"  I'll  take  a  bed,"  he  said  to  the  clerk  at  the 
desk. 

All  right;  twenty-five  cents."  And  as  the 
money  was  passed  over,  the  clerk  continued : 
"  Leave  your  valuables  at  the  desk." 

"  Valuables  ?  "  repeated  Nat.  "  You  mean  my 
watch?" 

"  You  may  leave  it  if  you  wish,  and  your  money 
too." 

"  No;  I'll  keep  them  on  me,"  answered  the  boy. 

He  was  conducted  to  an  elevator,  and  soon 
found  himself  on  the  fifth  story  of  the  building. 
Here  was  a  big  room  containing  twenty  cots,  ten 
on  each  side. 

"  Here  you  are;  No.  134,"  said  the  attendant, 
and  left  him. 


46  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

On  several  of  the  cots  some  men  were  already 
sleeping.  They  were  not  pleasant-appearing  in- 
dividuals, and  a  few  of.  them  smelt  strongly  of 
liquor. 

"  This  isn't  so  nice,"  thought  Nat.  "  But  it's 
cheap,  and  that's  something." 

Before  retiring,  he  placed  his  bundle  and  his 
clothing  under  his  pillow,  and  stowed  away  his 
watch  and  money  on  his  person. 

Nat's  actions  were  closely  watched  by  a  man 
who  occupied  the  next  cot  on  the  left.  He  was 
a  seedy  individual,  with  a  face  that  was  horribly 
pockmarked. 

"  Reckon  he's  got  a  dollar  or  two,"  thought 
this  man,  who  was  known  among  his  associates  by 
the  name  of  Checkers. 

Despite  his  surroundings,  Nat  slept  soundly 
throughout  the  night,  and  continued  to  sleep  long 
after  the  sun  came  up. 

While  it  was  still  early,  Bob  Checkers  arose, 
dressed  himself,  and  slipped  over  to  the  sleeping 
boy's  side.  Making  certain  that  nobody  was 
watching  him,  the  fellow  began  a  rapid  search 
of  Nat's  clothing,  and  afterwards  of  the  lad's 
person. 

Soon  he  came  in  contact  with  a  small  roll  of 
bills,  which  Nat,  in  the  belief  that  they  would  be 
quite  secure,  had  placed  in  a  pocket  of  his  shirt. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  47 

A  thrill  of  delight  shot  through  the  fellow  as  his 
hand  touched  them. 

"  Dis  is  de  best  yet !  "  he  murmured  to  himself, 
and  placing  the  bills  in  his  own  pocket,  he  left  the 
lodging  house  almost  on  a  run. 


CHAPTER  VII 

AN  ADVENTURE  AT  NIAGARA  FALLS 

WHEN  Nat  awoke  it  was  so  late  that  he  leaped 
tip  and  dressed  with  all  possible  speed. 

"  I've  got  to  get  a  hustle  on  me,  if  I  mean  to 
do  anything,"  he  told  himself.  "  It  won't  do  to 
dream  away  one  day  after  another." 

He  was  anxious  to  get  to  New  York,  to  try 
his  luck,  but  being  so  close  to  Niagara  Falls,  he 
decided  to  run  up  to  that  great  wonder,  and  look 
at  it  before  striking  out  for  the  metropolis. 

He  had  some  loose  change  in  his  pocket,  and 
did  not  immediately  miss  the  roll  of  bills  which 
the  sneak  thief  had  so  cleverly  abstracted  from 
his  person. 

Leaving  the  lodging  house,  he  looked  up  a 
cheap  restaurant,  where  he  obtained  a  cup  of  coffee 
and  some  rolls  for  ten  cents.  Then,  seeing  a  car 
marked  Niagara  Falls,  he  jumped  on  board. 

"  Do  you  go  to  the  Falls  ?  "  he  asked  of  the  con- 
ductor. 

"  Certainly." 

Trolley  riding  was  new  to  him,  and  he  thor- 
48 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  49 

oughly  enjoyed  the  trip,  which  lasted  the  best  part 
of  two  hours.  The  car  landed  him  on  the  main 
street  of  Niagara  Falls,  and  he  was  told  that  the 
Falls  themselves  were  just  beyond  the  public  park. 
Listening,  he  could  readily  hear  the  thunder  of  the 
waters — a  thunder  that  goes  on  day  and  night, 
and  has  for  ages. 

Feeling  dry,  he  treated  himself  to  a  glass  of 
soda,  and  then  asked  permission  to  leave  his  bundle 
in  the  shop  where  he  made  the  purchase. 

"  All  right/'  said  the  proprietor.  "  Leave  it 
th^re,  with  your  name  on  it,"  and  Nat  did  as  re- 
quested. 

He  was  soon  down  in  the  public  park,  and  then 
went  out  on  Goat  Island.  The  great  falls  were 
a  revelation  to  him — just  as  they  are  to  all  visit- 
ors— and  he  remained  for  a  long  time  in  one  spot, 
gazing  first  at  the  American  Falls,  and  then  at 
the  Horseshoe  or  Canadian  Falls. 

"  What  an  awful  mass  of  water !  "  was  his 
thought.  "  How  grand !  How  very  grand !  " 

From  Goat  Island,  Nat  walked  over  to  the  Three 
Sisters.  On  the  last  of  the  Three  Sisters  he  sat 
down  on  a  great  rock  to  look  at  the  rushing  and 
swirling  rapids — a  sight  which  to  many  is  as 
grand  as  that  of  the  Falls  themselves. 

"  No  boat  could  ever  live  in  that  river,"  he 
thought,  and  he  was^  right. 


50  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

Sitting  on  a  rock  he  got  to  thinking1  of  his  ffnan- 
cial  affairs,  and  felt  in  his  clothing-  for  his  bills,  to 
count  them  over. 

When  he  realized  that  the  money  was  gone,  a 
sudden  cold  sweat  came  out  on  his  brow.  He 
looked  around  him,  and  gave  a  groan. 

"  I  must  have  dropped  the  bills  somewhere,"  he 
muttered.  "But  where?"  Never  once  did  he 
imagine  that  he  had  been  robbed,  and  it  may  be 
added  here,  he  never  learned  the  truth. 

To  look  for  the  money  would  have  been  a  hope- 
less task,  and  Nat  did  not  attempt  it.  Having 
gazed  around  on  the  rocks,  he  sat  down  to  revfew 
the  situation. 

"  Just  twenty-two  cents  left,"  he  mused,  as  he 
counted  over  his  change.  "  That  won't  do  more 
than  buy  a  dinner.  And  what  am  I  to  do  after  it 
is  gone  ?  What  a  fool  I  was  not  to  take  care  of 
my  money.  I'm  a  regular  greeny,  after  all !  " 

Nat  was  greatly  depressed  in  spirits,  and  he 
gave  a  sigh  that  seemed  to  come  from  his  very 
soul.  Then,  gazing  up  once  more,  he  gave  a 
quick  cry  of  alarm. 

A  fashionably  dressed  young  man  had  appeared 
before  him,  wearing  a  button-hole  bouquet,  and 
light  tan  gloves.  The  fellow  had  a  wild  look  in 
his  eyes,  and  was  on  the  point  of  throwing  him- 
self headlong  into  the  swiftly  flowing  rapids. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  51 

"  Don't!  "  screamed  Nat,  and  with  one  mighty 
leap,  he  caught  the  fashionably  dressed  young 
man  by  the  arm,  and  forcibly  hauled  him  back- 
wards. 

"  Let — let  me  go!  "  was  the  frightened  return. 
"I— I— let  me  go!" 

i  You  shan't  throw  yourself  in  the  rapids !  " 
said  Nat.  He  held  the  young  man  tightly.  "  It's 
death  to  do  that!  Don't  you  know  it?  " 

*  Yes,  I  know  it,"  was  the  unsteady  answer. 
Then  of  a  sudden  the  young  man  sank  down  in  a 
heap  on  the  rocks.  "  Great  Heavens !  what  a 
narrow  escape!  " 

He  was  close  to  fainting,  and  Nat  supported 
him  until  he  appeared  to  grow  calmer.  The  wild 
look  left  his  eyes,  and  they  filled  instead  with 
tears. 

"  I — I  was  going  to — to "  He  did  not 

finish.  "  You — you  saved  me !  " 

"  You  mustn't  do  anything  like  that,"  said  Nat. 
"  It's  awful  to  even  think  about  it." 

"  But  I  haven't  got  anything  to  live  for,"  was 
the  jerked-out  answer. 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  have."  And  Nat  glanced  at  the 
well-dressed  f  elfow,  with  his  gold  watch  and  chain, 
and  his  large  diamond  stud.  "  You're  not  poor 
like  I  am." 

"Are  you  poor?  " 


52  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Am  I  ?  Wouldn't  you  think  a  fellow  with 
only  twenty-two  cents  \vas  poor  ?  " 

"Is  that  all  you  have?" 

"  Yes.  I  had  some  bank  bills,  but  I  lost  them. 
Twenty-two  cents  is  all  I've  got,  but  I  wasn't  go- 
ing to  commit  suicide  on  that  account." 

The  fashionably  dressed  young  man  gave  a 
shiver. 

"  Don't  mention  it,"  he  whispered.  "  I  must 
have  been  clean  crazy  for  the  minute.  Let  us  go 
away  from  the  river  and  the  falls." 

"  I'm  willing,"  answered  Nat,  and  walked  from 
the  islands  to  the  shore  park.  Here  they  seated 
themselves  on  a  bench,  some  distance  away  from 
the  water. 

"  What  is  your  name,  if  I  may  ask  ?  " 

"  Nat  Nason.     What's  yours  ?  " 

"  Paul  Hampton.  So  you've  only  got  twenty- 
two  cents  to  your  name?  Well,  you  are,  worse 
off  than  I  am,  after  all.  I've  got  money  a-plenty." 

"  What  made  you  dream  of  doing  such  a 
thing  ?  "  asked  Nat,  curiously. 

"  Would  you  like  to  hear  my  story?  Well,  it 
won't  do  any  harm  to  tell  it  to  you,  an  utter 
stranger,  and  it  will  relieve  my  mind.  Maybe 
you  can  give  me  some  advice." 

"  If  I  can  I  certainly  will/'  answered  Nat, 
promptly. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  53 

"  Well,  to  start  with,"  began  Paul  Hampton, 
"I  am  a  graduate  of  Yale  University,  and  a 
lawyer  by  profession.  I  suppose  you  don't  think 
I  look  much  like  a  lawyer." 

"  I  don't  know  much  about  lawyers,"  answered 
Nat,  cautiously. 

"  I  practice  in  Niagara  Falls,  and  also  in  Buf- 
falo. I  have  not  paid  as  much  attention  to  the 
profession  in  the  past  as  I  intend  to  pay  in  the 
future." 

"  Maybe  you  don't  need  the  money." 

"  That  is  one  reason.  But  there  is  another, 
Nat.  I  fell  desperately  in  love.  The  fever  is  at 
an  end  now.  You  drove  it  out  of  me,  when  you 
stopped  me  from  jumping  into  the  rapids." 

Paul  Hampton  paused  long  enough  to  light  a 
cigar.  Then  he  leaned  back,  and  blew  a  cloud  of 
smoke  into  the  air. 

"  I  was  a  big  fool.  I  can  realize  it  now,"  he 
went  on.  "  I  should  have  passed  Grace  by  long 
ago." 

"Was  that  the  name  of  the  girl?" 

:<  Yes.  Her  father  is  well-to-do,  and  gives  her 
everything  her  heart  desires.  Consequently,  she 
has  been  leading  me  around  like  a  puppy  dog  tied 
to  a  string." 

"  I  see.     That  is  not  very  pleasant." 

"  I  thought  I  loved  her,  but  I  fancy  now  that  I 


54  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

was  too  good  for  her,"  continued  the  fashionably 
dressed  young  man.  "  But  let  me  tell  you  the 
whole  story. 

"  I  called  on  Grace  for  over  a  month,  and  finally 
told  her  that  I  loved  her.  She  said  she  thought 
her  father  would  never  consent  to  our  marriage. 
Then  I  asked  her  if  she  was  willing  to  elope  with 
me. 

"  I  believe  that  angered  her,  but  she  didn't  show 
it.  She  said  she  would  think  it  over,  and  the 
next  day  sent  a  note  saying  she  would  be  ready 
any  time  I  fixed.  Oh,  what  a  fool  I  was  to 
believe  her!'7 

"  And  she  wouldn't  elope?  "  asked  Nat. 

"  It  was  arranged  that  she  should  be  in  readi- 
ness the  next  morning  at  four  o'clock,  and  that  I 
should  procure  a  carriage  and  call  for  her.  We 
would  drive  to  a  minister  in  the  next  town,  and 
be  married,  and  then  ask  her  father's  forgiveness." 

"And  she  backed  out?" 

E<  The  morning  dawned  dark  and  misty.  I 
had  obtained  from  a  livery  stable  the  night  be- 
fore a  carriage  with  a  span  of  horses.  At  half- 
past  three  I  drove  within  a  few  yards  of  the 
house,  when,  according  to  agreement,  I  saw  a 
white  handkerchief  waving  from  a  window. 

"  Very  soon  Grace  made  her  appearance  at  the 
door.  She  was  heavily  cloaked  and  veiled,  and 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  55 

refused  to  speak  while  I  hurried  her  into  the  car- 
riage. Off  we  went  at  a  trot  towards  the  next 
town.  We  drew  up  at  the  door  of  the  leading 
minister  of  the  place,  and  I  tried  to  assist  my 
companion  to  alight  from  the  carnage,  when  she 
fell  and  hurt  her  ankle  on  the  curb." 

"  Well,  that  was  too  bad,"  said  Nat,  sympathet- 
ical): . 

"  I  asked  her  if  she  was  hurt,  when  to  my 
amazement  she  broke  out  into  a  rich  Irish  brogue : 
'  It's  almost  kilt  I  am ! '  said  she." 

"Was  she  Irish?" 

"  Irish  ?  No !  It  was  not  Grace  at  all,  but  her 
cook.  She  had  put  up  a  cruel  joke  on  me.  And 
that  wasn't  the  worst  of  it.  Grace  had  told  Biddy 
that  I  was  in  love  with  her,  and  the  ignorant  cook 
believed  it." 

"  And  what  did  you  do  then?  " 

"What  could  I  do?  I  told  Biddy  it  was  a 
trick,  and  I  had  to  give  her  ten  dollars  to  keep 
from  making  a  complaint  to  the  police.  Wasn't 
it  dreadful  ? " 

"  Yes,  it  was,  but  if  I  were  you,  Mr.  Hampton, 
I'd  consider  myself  lucky  to  get  rid  of  such  a  girl. 
Supposing  she  had  married  you?  You  would 
most  likely  be  miserable  all  your  life  with  her." 

At  these  words,  Paul  Hampton  stared  at  Nat. 

"  You  are  right,"  he  answered,  presently.     "  I 


56  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

was  a  big  fool.  After  this  I  shall  drop  her  en- 
tirely and  stick  to  my  law  business." 

"  Perhaps  some  day  she'll  be  sorry  she  treated 
you  so  unfairly — when  she  sees  how  you  are  ris- 
ing in  your  profession." 

"  Hope  she  does.  But  I  don't  want  any  more 
to  do  with  her,"  went  on  Paul  Hampton,  de- 
cidedly. "  Let  us  talk  about  something  else,"  he 
added,  after  a  pause.  "  Did  you  tell  me  you  were 
worth  only  twenty-two  cents  ?  " 

"  I  did." 

"  Do  your  folks  live  around  here  ?  " 

"  My  parents  are  dead." 

"  Oh !  Well,  I  want  to  reward  you  for  what 
you  did  for  me." 

"  I  don't  ask  any  reward." 

"  Nevertheless,  you  must  accept  something,"  an- 
swered the  fashionably  dressed  young  man. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

A  FRESH  START  IN  LIFE 

NAT  and  his  newly-found  friend  sat  in  the 
Niagara  Falls  Park  until  nearly  one  o'clock,  talk- 
ing their  affairs  over.  Then  Paul  Hampton  asked 
the  boy  to  go  with  him  for  dinner. 

"  I  want  to  prove  to  you  that  I  am  not  as  crazy 
as  I  seemed,"  said  the  young  man.  "  That  was  a 
sudden  fit,  that's  all." 

"  Well,  take  my  advice  and  don't  get  any  more 
such  fits,"  answered  our  hero. 

Paul  Hampton  led  the  way  to  one  of  the  leading 
hotels  of  the  town,  and  showed  Nat  where  he 
could  wash  and  brush  up  before  dining.  Then 
the  two  entered  the  dining  hall,  and  the  youth 
was  treated  to  the  finest  spread  he  had  ever  tasted. 

"  I  didn't  expect  this,  Mr.  Hampton,"  said  he, 
when  the  repast  was  over. 

"  Oh,  that  is  not  much.     Do  you  smoke?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it.  I  think  I  smoke  too 
much.  Now,  to  get  to  business.  Where  are  you 
going  to  from  here  ?  " 

57 


58  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"I  am  going  to  try  my  luck  in  New  York,  if 
I  can  manage  to  get  there." 

"  I  see.  Well,  I'll  buy  you  a  railroad  ticket. 
How  does  that  strike  you?  " 

"  You  are  very  kind." 

"  When  do  you  want  to  start?  " 

"  I  am  not  particular." 

'  Then  supposing  you  make  it  to-morrow  morn- 
ing? You  can  spend  the  balance  of  the  day  and 
the  night  with  me.  I  want  to  do  something  more 
for  you." 

Nat  demurred,  but  the  young  man  would  not 
listen,  and  in  the  end  our  hero  agreed  to  remain 
in  Niagara  Falls  until  the  next  morning.  A  rail- 
road ticket  was  purchased,  and  handed  to  the  boy, 
and  with  it  Paul  Hampton  passed  over  a  five-dol- 
lar bill. 

u  That  is  for  running  expenses,"  he  said. 
"  No,  don't  try  to  refuse  it,  or  I  shall  be  angry 
with  you." 

As  Nat's  shoes  were  worn,  the  young  man  in- 
sisted upon  purchasing  another  pair,  and  then 
purchased  the  boy  some  collars  and  a  necktie,  and 
also  a  new  hat. 

"  There,  now  you  are  fixed  to  go  to  New  York," 
said  he,  "  and  I  wish  you  the  best  of  luck  when 
you  get  there." 

"  Thank  you    very  much." 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  59 

"  If  you  have  time,  write  to  me  and  let  me 
know  how  you  are  making  out." 

"  I  will." 

The  night  was  spent  in  a  hotel  close  to  the  rail- 
road Nation,  and  early  in  the  morning  Paul 
Hampton  saw  Nat  on  the  train.  All  of  the  boy's 
possessions  had  been  put  in  a  neat  dress-suit  case, 
also  a  present  from  the  young  man. 

"  Here  is  a  letter  I  want  you  to  read  after  you 
are  well  on  your  way,"  said  Paul  Hampton,  on 
parting,  and  he  handed  the  missive  over.  "  Be 
careful  of  it,  for  I  think  it  contains  some  advice 
that  will  do  you  good." 

:<  Thank  you ;  I'll  take  care  of  it,  and  give  it  a 
good  reading,"  answered  Nat,  and  in  a  moment 
more  the  train  started,  and  the  long  journey  to 
New  York  City  was  begun. 

Our  hero  sank  back  in  his  seat  with  a  good  deal 
of  satisfaction.  His  passage  was  paid  through, 
and  he  had  exactly  four  dollars  and  seventy-five 
cents  in  his  pocket. 

"  I  ought  to  get  something  to  do  before  I  spend 
that-  amount,"  he  told  himself.  "  Of  course,  it's 
not  as  much  as  if  I  had  that  roll  of  bills  I  lost,  but 
there  is  no  use  in  crying  over  spilt  milk." 

The  run  down  to  Buffalo  was  quickly  made, 
and  then  the  train  started  on  its  long  journey  to 
Albany  and  the  great  metropolis.  After  looking 


60  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

out  of  the  window  for  a  while,  our  hero  took  the 
letter  Paul  Hampton  had  given  him,  from  his 
pocket  and  opened  it.  Inside  was  another  en- 
velope, also  sealed,  and  a  bit  of  paper  on  which 
was  written : 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  : 

"  Do  not  be  discouraged,  no  matter  what  hap- 
pens, when  you  arrive  in  New  York.  Try  your 
best  to  get  some  good  position.  If  you  run  short 
of  funds  inside  of  the  next  two  months,  open  the 
envelope  enclosed  with  this.  It  contains  some- 
thing that  will  help  you  on  your  way.  Do  not 
lose  the  envelope. 

"  Ever  your  friend, 

"  PAUL  HAMPTON." 

"  That's  certainly  an  odd  letter,"  thought  Nat, 
as  he  read  it  over  a  second  time.  "  Wonder  what 
that  other  envelope  contains  ?  " 

His  curiosity  was  great,  but  he  was  a  thoroughly 
conscientious  lad,  and  after  a  while  he  put  the 
sealed  envelope  in  an  inside  pocket,  and  pinned  it 
there,  so  that  it  might  not  drop  out. 

"  He  was  a  curious  fellow,  and  this  is  one  of 
his  odd  ways  of  doing  things,"  he  reasoned. 
"  Well,  the  envelope  will  give  me  some  hope,  if 
nothing  else." 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  61 

Nat  had  a  map  of  the  route  in  his  possession, 
and  he  spent  nearly  the  whole  day  in- watching  the 
towns  and  villages  through  which  the  train  passed. 
At  Alb '..iiy  came  a  long  wait,  and  he  walked  out 
on  the  platform  to  stretch  his  legs.  Then  the 
train  went  on  its  way  down  the  shore  of  the  Hud- 
son River,  and  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening 
rolled  into  the  Grand  Central  Depot,  at  Forty- 
second  Street,  New  York  Gity. 

The  great  station  was  a  revelation  to  Nat,  and 
when  he  got  out  on  the  street,  the  lines  of  cabs, 
cars,  and  elevated  trains  made  him  stop  short  in 
utter  bewilderment. 

"  This  is  ten  times  worse  than  Cleveland  or 
Buffalo,"  was  his  comment.  "  What  a  racket  on 
all  sides !  I  wonder  where  all  these  folks  are  go- 
ing?" 

"Cab!  coupe?"  bawled  a  line  of  hackmen 
standing  near.  "Carry  your  baggage?"  came 
from  a  boy,  and  he  caught  hold  of  Nat's  dress- 
suit  case. 

"  Here,  let  go  of  that !  "  cried  our  hero,  and 
shoved  the  boy  to  one  side. 

"  Carry  it  for  you  anywhere  you  want  to  go," 
went  on  the  street  urchin. 

"  I  can  carry  it  myself." 

After  a  struggle  Nat  found  himself  out  of  the 
crowd  and  on  a  distant  street  corner.  It  was  late, 


62  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

but  the  many  street  and  shop  lights  made  the 
scene  almost  as  bright  as  day. 

He  did  not  know  where  to  go,  and  so  continued 
to  walk  along  until  he  came  to  Sixth  Avenue. 
Here  he  came  to  another  halt. 

"  There  is  no  sense  in  my  walking  myself  to 
death  to-night,"  he  thought.  "  I  had  better  wait 
till  morning  for  that — when  I  go  in  search  of  a 
job." 

At  that  moment  a  boy  of  almost  his  own  age 
stepped  up  to  him  with  a  bundle  of  newspapers 
under  his  arm. 

"  Sporting  extra  ?  "  he  asked,  holding  out  two 
evening  papers.  "  All  the  latest  baseball  and 
racing  news." 

"  I  don't  want  any  paper,"  answered  Nat. 
"  But  I  wish  you'd  do  me  a  favor." 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  "  demanded  the  other 
boy,  promptly. 

"  I  want  to  find  a  cheap  but  good  boarding 
house.  Do  you  know  of  any  around  here  ?  " 

The  New  York  boy  looked  Nat  over  critically. 
The  examination,  brief  as  it  was,  appeared  to 
satisfy  him. 

"  Just  come  to  the  city?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Looking  for  work  ?  " 

"  Yes," 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  63 

"  How  much  do  you  want  to  pay  for  board  ?  " 

"  Not  ..ny  more  than  I  have  to,"  answered  Nat 
with  a  grin.  "  I'm  not  rich." 

"  I  see.  Well,  mother  takes  boarders.  It 
might  be  she  would  take  you." 

"  For  how  much  ?  " 

"  Four  or  five  dollars  a  week/' 

"  Oh,  I  can't  pay  that  much !  Why,  where  I 
come  from  you  can  get  good  board  for  three  dol- 
lars a  week." 

"That's  the  country,  ain't  it?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  New  York  City  ain't  the  country.  You 
have  to  pay  more  for  things  here." 

"  I  suppose  that  is  true." 

"  Come  on  over  and  talk  to  mother.  What's 
your  handle?  Mine  is  Dick  Talcott." 

"  Nat  Nason.  I  am  glad  to  know  you."  And 
our  hero  shook  hands,  which  made  the  newsboy 
grin  all  over.  - 

With  his  papers  under  his  arm,  Dick  Talcott 
hurried  down  a  side  street,  and  around  a  corner. 
He  stopped  in  front  of  a  four-story  brick  house. 

"  We  live  on  the  third  floor,"  said  he.  "  Come 
on  up,"  and  he  led  the  way  up  the  somewhat  nar- 
row stairs.  It  was  pitch-dark,  and  Nat  kept  close 
behind,  so  as  not  to  run  into  anything. 

"  Mother,  here  is  a  boy  who  wants  board,"  an- 


64  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

nounced  Dick,  as  he  threw  open  a  door.  Then 
the  pair  entered  a  living  room,  where  a  middle- 
aged  woman  sat  by  a  table,  mending  some  under- 
wear. 

The  woman  arose  and  came  forward,  and  Nat 
saw  that  she  was  rather  pleasant  looking.  She 
was  a  widow,  her  husband  having  died  only  the 
year  previous. 

"  So  you  wish  board  ?  "  she  said.  "  I  will  show 
you  what  rooms  I  have." 

"  He  don't  want  to  pay  much,  mother,"  put  in 
the  son.  "  He's  just  arrived  in  New  York  from 
the  country,  and  he  wants  work." 

"  I  can  let  you  have  a  small  hall  room,  with 
breakfast  and  supper,  for  three  dollars  and  a 
half,"  said  Mrs.  Talcott.  "  That  is  the  best  I  can 
do.  Of  course,  you'll  want  to  take  lunch  along 
to  your  work,  unless  you  get  work  near  here. 
Where  do  you  come  from  ?  " 

"  Ohio." 

"  Is  that  so !  The  late  Mr.  Talcott  came  from 
Ohio." 

"  I  think  I  had  better  take  the  room,  at  least  for 
a  week,"  said  Nat.  The  manner  of  the  lady 
pleased  him.  She  was  evidently  poor,  but  of  good 
breeding. 

"  Very  well.  Do  you  want  the  room  to- 
night?" 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  65 

"Yer. 

"  Have  you  had  supper?  " 

"  Yes,  I  had  a  bite  on  the  train." 

"  Very  well,  I'll  get  the  room  ready  for  you."  ^ 

"  And  I'll  go  out  and  finish  selling  my  papers, 
said  Dick  Talcott,  and  ran  out^of  the  room  and 
down  the  stairs,  two  steps  at  a  time. 


CHAPTER  IX 

FIRST  DAYS  IN  NEW  YORK 

HAVING  paid  for  his  room  for  one  week  in  ad- 
vance, Nat  sat  down  to  talk  to  Mrs.  Talcott.  He 
found  her  a  very  pleasant  woman,  whose  ex- 
periences in  life  had  been  much  varied. 

"  Dick  is  the  only  person  left  to  me,"  said  she. 
"  He  had  both  a  brother  and  a  sister,  but  they 
died  when  they  were  young." 

"  Does  he  sell  papers  every  day?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  and  he  has  a  morning  route  besides, 
which  he  carries  for  a  stationer  on  the  Avenue." 

"  I  suppose  he  makes  quite  some  money,  doesn't 
he?  Excuse  me  for  asking,  but  you  know,  I've 
got  to  make  my  living  too." 

"  The  route  pays  him  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  a 
week,  and  he  makes  three  or  four  dollars  be- 
sides." 

"  Well,  five  dollars  a  week  is  better  than  noth- 
ing." 

"  The  stationer  says  he  will  give  Dick  a  place 
this  fall.  That  will  pay  six  or  seven  dollars  a 
week." 

66 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  67 

"  I  wish  I  had  a  job  at  six  or  seven  dollars  a 
week." 

"  Have  you  anything  in  view?  " 

"  Not  a  thing.  I  am  going  out  in  the  morn- 
ing to  look  for  work." 

"  You  may  find  it  very  hard  to  get  an  opening." 

"  Oh,  I  guess  I  can  find  something,"  answered 
Nat,  confidently, 

"  I  trust  you  are  not  disappointed.  So  many 
come  in  from  the  country  and  find  it  impossible 
to  get  an  opening." 

"  I  wish  I  had  a  map  of  New  York  City.  I 
could  study  it,  and  locate  the  streets." 

"  I  have  such  a  map,"  was  the  answer,  and  the 
lady  brought  it  forth.  "  I  will  put  it  on  the  table 
just  as  it  should  be.  This  is  east  and  this  is  west, 
and  here  is  where  this  house  is  located,  and  here 
is  the  Grand  Central  Depot.  Now,  you  can  do 
your  best  to  fix  the  rest  of  it  in  your  head." 

Nat  pored  over  the  map  for  a  good  hour,  and 
during  that  time  located  Broadway,  and  a  number 
of  other  important  thoroughfares. 

"  It's  certainly  a  tremendously  big  city,"  said 
he.  "  One  could  get  lost  without  half  trying." 

"  You  can  carry  that  map  around  this  week,  if 
you  wish,"  said  Mrs.  Talcott.  "  It  may  help  you 
a  great  deal." 

Nat  went  to  bed  with  his  head  in  something  of 


68  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

a  whirl  from  the  long  train  ride  and  from  study- 
ing the  map.  It  was  a  long  while  ere  he  could 
close  his  eyes  in  sleep. 

"  I'm  up  against  it  now,"  he  mused,  "  It's  sink 
or  swim,  and  nothing  else." 

He  resolved  to  arise  early,  and  as  soon  as  he 
heard  Dick  Talcott  get  up,  he  dressed  and  went 
into  the  dining  room  to  meet  the  newsboy. 

"  Hullo,  how  did  you  sleep  ?  "  asked  Dick. 

"  Fairly  good,  considering.  Are  you  going  out 
on  your  route  now  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  I  want  to  buy  some  papers  that  have  adver- 
tisements of  Help  Wanted  in  them.  Which  are 
the  best  papers?  " 

Dick  named  them.  "  You  needn't  buy  them  un- 
less you  wish.  I'll  let  you  look  over  my  bunch,  if 
you  want  to  come  with  me." 

"  Thank  you,  Dick." 

The  two  procured  a  hasty  breakfast,  and  set 
out,  and  soon  the  newsboy  had  his  package  of 
morning  newspapers.  He  showed  Nat  where  to 
look  for  the  advertisements,  and  our  hero  sat 
down  on  a  stoop,  while  Dick  ran  his  route. 

"  Well,  did  you  find  anything  worth  looking 
up  ?  "  asked  the  newsboy,  on  returning. 

"  A  dozen  or  more,"  cried  Nat,  gleefully.  "  It 
will  be  an  easy  matter  to  get  work,  I'm  thinking." 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  69 

At  this  the  New  York  boy  grinned  broadly. 

"  Don't  you  fool  yourself,  Nat." 

"  But  here  are  the  advertisements." 

"  Yes,  and  a  hundred  young  fellows  after  every 
one." 

At  this  Nat's  face  fell. 

"  You  are  sure  of  this  ?  " 

"  Go  on,  and  find  out  for  yourself.  A  good  job 
isn't  open  more  than  an  hour  in  this  city." 

"  Then,  I'd  better  hurry  along." 

Nat  had  written  down  about  a  dozen  addresses 
on  a  slip  of  paper,  and  the  newsboy  showed  him 
how  he  could  get  around  from  one  place  to  the 
next  with  the  least  walking.  Nat  started  off  at  a 
swift  gait.  Dick  watched  him  out  of  sight  with 
a  thoughtful  expression  on  his  face. 

"  That  boy  means  well,"  he  murmured.  "  But 
he  has  got  a  whole  lot  to  learn !  " 

The  distance  to  the  first  place  on  Nat's  list  was 
almost  half  a  mile.  It  was  a  shirt  factory,  where 
an  assistant  packer  was  desired,  at  eight  dollars 
per  week.  Arriving  there,  Nat  found  about 
twenty  young  men  and  boys  assembled,  waiting 
to  get  into  the  office. 

"  Dick  was  right,  a  place  here  doesn't  go 
begging  long,"  thought  the  boy  from  the 
country. 

It  was  some  time  before  Nat  could  get  into  the 


70  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

office.  He  faced  a  tall,  sharp-eyed  man,  who  was 
in  his  shirt  sleeves. 

"  Want  the  job,  eh  ?  "  said  the  man.  "  Had  any 
experience  as  a  packer?  " 

"  No,  sir,  but— 

"  Can't  use  you.    Next !  " 

Nat  stared  at  the  man  in  bewilderment. 

"  Won't  you  please  try " 

."  No."  The  man  shook  his  head  vigorously. 
"  Next !  "  And  our  hero  was  elbowed  toward  the 
door  by  some  others  who  wanted  the  position.  In 
a  moment  more  he  found  himself  on  the  street 
again. 

"  Well,  of  all  the  mean  men !  "  he  began,  and 
stopped  short.  "  All  right,  he  can  keep  his  job. 
I'll  try  the  next  place." 

The  next  was  in  a  hat  store,  and  the  place  was 
filled.  Then  came  a  clothing  establishment,  a 
hardware  store,  and  a  wholesale  rubber  factory. 
At  none  of  these  places  was  he  wanted.  By  this 
time  it  was  nearly  noon,  and  he  was  getting  just 
a  little  discouraged. 

"  It's  going  to  be  up-hill  work,  that's  certain !  " 
he  told  himself  with  a  sigh. 

The  next  place  he  visited  was  a  seed  store. 
Here  a  very  elderly  man  came  forward  to  greet 
him. 

"  So   you   want    a   place  ? "    said   he    slowly. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  71 

"  Have  you  had  any  experience  as  an  errand 
boy?" 

"  No,  sir,  but  I  am  willing  to  learn." 

"  So  they  all  say,  but  many  boys  don't  seem  to 
learn  very  fast.  You  look  like  a  country  lad." 
And  the  elderly  man  peered  at  Nat  closely  through 
his  spectacles. 

"  I  am  a  country  boy.  But  if  you'll  give  me  a 
chance,  I'll  do  my  best." 

"  We  can't  pay  you  very  much  at  the  start." 

"How  much?" 

"  Two  dollars  and  a  half  a  week." 

"  I  can't  live  on  that.  I've  got  to  pay  my 
board." 

The  elderly  man  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  Guess  you  had  better  look  elsewhere  then." 

"  Couldn't  you  pay  me  a  little  more  ?  I  am 
willing  to  work  hard  ?  " 

"  Well,  we  might  give  you  three  dollars  a  week 
after  the  first  month,  but  that  is  our  limit  for  an 
errand  boy." 

"  I  can't  take  it,"  answered  Nat.  "  I've  got  to 
earn  more,"  and  after  a  little  additional  talking  he 
left  the  seed  store. 

He  had  a  lunch  in  a  bit  of  newspaper,  and  as 
it  was  nearly  one  o'clock,  he  sat  down  on  a  box 
on  the  sidewalk  and  ate  it,  washing  it  down  with  a 
drink  of  water  from  a  cooler  in  a  railroad  ticket 


^2  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

office.  Then  he  went  on  his  way  once  more,  but 
at  sundown  had  to  give  it  up.  He  was  so  tired, 
and  his  feet  were  so  sore  from  the  pavements,  that 
he  could  scarcely  walk  to  his  boarding  house. 

"  I  trust  you  found  something/'  said  Mrs.  Tal- 
cott,  as  he  entered. 

"  No,"  he  answered,  soberly.  "  I  could  have 
had  one  position,  but  it  only  paid  two  dollars  and 
a  half  a  week,  so  I  didn't  take  it." 

"  I  am  sorry." 

"  I  shall  go  out  to-morrow  again.  I  am  bound 
to  strike  something  sooner  or  later." 

Being  tremendously  hungry  Nat  ate  the  supper 
provided  with  a  relish.  There  were  two  other 
boarders — girls  who  worked  in  a  large  depart- 
ment store — and  they  were  quite  interested  in 
him. 

'''  You  might  get  work  at  our  place,"  said  one 
of  the  girls.  "  They  advertised  to-day  for  wrap- 
pers." 

'  Yes,  but  they  want  experienced  wrappers," 
said  the  other  girl. 

"  I'll  try  them,  anyway,"  said  Nat.  "  And  I  am 
much  obliged  to  you  for  telling  me  about  it,"  he 
added. 

On  the  following  morning  he  was  up  as  before 
and  got  the  list  from  the  papers  again.  Fortune 
was  now  with  him,  and  at  noon  he  found  a  posi- 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  73 

tion  in  a  wholesale  paper  house.  One  of  the 
clerks  was  going  to  visit  some  relatives  down 
south,  and  Nat  was  hired  to  fill  his  place,  at  seven 
dollars  per  week. 

"  You've  struck  luck !  "  cried  Dick  Talcott,  on 
hearing  the  news.  "  I  hope  the  job  lasts/' 

"  So  do  I,"  answered  Nat.  "  But  even  if  it 
'doesn't,  it  is  better  than  nothing." 

Nat  went  to  work  the  next  day.  He  found  his 
duties  rather  simple  and  wondered  how  the  firm 
could  afford  to  pay  him  seven  dollars  for  the  little 
he  was  called  on  to  do.  Everybody  treated  him 
nicely,  and  he  considered  himself  lucky  to  have 
made  the  connection  with  the  firm. 


CHAPTER  X 

OUT  OF  WORK  ONCE  MORE 

DURING  the  time  that  he  worked  in  the  whole- 
sale paper  establishment  Nat  wrote  a  long  letter 
to  Sam  Price,  telling  his  friend  of  his  adventures 
since  leaving  home,  and  asking  for  news  from  the 
farm.  A  few  days  later  an  answer  came  back, 
which  ran  as  follows: 

"  I  got  your  letter  and  found  it  very  interesting. 
I  hope  you  make  your  fortune  in  the  city.  It's 
certainly  a  fine  place  to  go  to,  and  maybe  I'll  try 
it  myself  some  day.  Country  life  is  awful  slow, 
and  work  is  mighty  hard.  I  have  been  hoeing 
corn  to-day  till  my  back  aches  ready  to  fall 
apart. 

"  Your  uncle  was  awful  mad  to  think  you  had 
run  away,  and  madder  still  when  he  found  you 
had  sold  the  cow.  He  thought  you  were  hiding  in 
Cleveland,  and  he  stayed  in  that  city  three  days 
before  he  gave  up  the  search.  He  claims  that  the 
cow  belonged  to  him — that  he  took  it  for  board 
and  clothing  for  you,  and  he  also  sticks  to  it  that  ^ 

74 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  75 

you  tried  to  burn  down  his  barn.  He  says  he  is 
going  to  make  it  hot  for  you  if  he  ever  finds  you. 
You  can  make  sure  I  shan't  tell  him  where  you 
are." 

Nat  read  the  letter  with  keen  interest,  not  once 
but  several  times,  and  shook  his  head  slowly  over 
the  communication. 

"  I  suppose  Uncle  Abner  will  always  think  I 
set  fire  to  the  barn,"  he  thought.  "  Wish  I  could 
catch  the  person  who  really  did  do  it.  Must  have 
been  some  tramp  who  was  sleeping  there  and 
using  a  pipe." 

At  the  end  of  the  third  week's  work  Nat  had 
seven  dollars  saved,  of  which  amount  he  was  reas- 
onably proud.  But  now  came  a  setback  for  which 
he  was  not  prepared. 

"  We  have  sold  this  concern  to  another  party/' 
said  one  of  the  proprietors  to  him.  "  After 
Saturday  your  services  will  be  no  longer  re- 
quired." 

"  Won't  the  new  bosses  need  me  ?  " 

"  No,  for  they  have  all  the  help  of  their  own 
that  they  can  use.  Only  our  head  bookkeeper  will 
remain." 

This  was  on  Thursday,  and  during  the  balance 
of  the  week  our  hero  looked  around  in  his 
spare  hours  for  another  position,  but  without  sue- 


76  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

cess.  Monday  morning  found  him  doing  noth- 
ing. 

"  As  you  said,  it  is  not  so  easy  to  get  a  hold," 
said  he  to  Dick.  "  Still,  I  don't  feel  quite  so  green 
as  when  I  first  reached  New  York.  I  at  least 
know  something  about  the  streets  and  the  stores." 

Nat  lost  no  time  in  looking  for  another  place. 
But  nothing  turned  up  Monday  or  Tuesday,  and 
Wednesday  it  rained  so  hard  that  he  did  not  go 
out  until  after  noon.  Then  he  visited  a  fashion- 
able wholesale  jewelry  establishment.  Here  he 
was  asked  to  wait,  while  one  of  the  proprietors 
interviewed  a  young  man  who  had  come  in  ahead 
of  our  hero. 

The  young  man  was  dressed  as  a  perfect  dude, 
with  a  light  checked  suit,  and  very  light  gloves. 
He  spoke  with  a  drawl,  and  Nat  heard  every 
word  that  he  said. 

"What  is  your  business,  sir?"  asked  the 
jeweler. 

"  I  believe,  sir,"  said  the  young  gentleman, 
"  that  you  advertised  for  a — aw — a  secretary." 

"  A  clerk,  yes,  sir." 

"  Aw,  all  the  same.  Well,  sir — aw — if  we  can 
agree  upon  terms,  I  should  be — aw — flattered  to 
proffer  my  services." 

"  Ah,  indeed ! "  And  the  jeweler  raised  his 
eyebrows  slightly. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  77 

"  Yes,  sir.  You  will  be  pleased  to  learn  that  all 
my  connections — aw — move  in  the  first  circles." 

"  Undoubtedly  that  is  very  gratifying.  But 
you  mentioned  terms.  May  I  ask  you  what  you 
expect  ?  " 

"  Well,  sir,  perhaps  a  couple  of  thousand  or  so, 
a  year.  Then,  I  should  wish  to  make  certain 
stipulations — aw — as  to  the  time  I'm  employed." 

"  Go  on." 

"  For  example,  I  never — aw — get  up  very 
early.  I  think  it  injures  the  health.  But  I  think 
I  could  manage  to  get  to  the  office  by  ten  in  the 
morning." 

"  I  see." 

"  Then,  I  should  want — aw — to  have  Saturday 
afternoons  to  myself,  both  in  winter  and  sum- 
mer. I  always  go  to  the  theater  matinees — so 
many — aw — pretty  girls  there,"  continued  the 
dude. 

"And  what  else?" 

"  I  should  not  want  to  work  later  than  five  in 
the  afternoon.  Excessive  labor  is  injurious  to  the 
health." 

"  Perhaps  that  is  true." 

'  Then  I  should — aw — wish  it  understood  that 
I  could  have  five  or  six  weeks  off  in  the  summer, 
so  that  I  can  visit  the  springs  or  the  seashore/' 
continued  the  dude.  "  Is  that  satisfactory  ?  " 


78  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  I  suppose  it  would  be,  to  you,"  answered  the 
jeweler. 

"  I  think  so." 

"  It  wouldn't  satisfy  us  at  all." 

"Really!    That  is  too  bad !  " 

"  We  want  a  man  here  who  can  work,  and  who 
is  not  afraid  of  long  hours,  and  who  doesn't  set 
quite  such  a  high  figure  on  his  services.  You'll 
never  fill  the  bill  in  the  wide  world.  Good-day !  " 

"  Really !  "  murmured  the  dude,  and  after  star- 
ing at  the  jeweler,  he  turned  on  his  heel  and  left 
in  utter  disgust.  Several  who  had  overheard  the 
interview  laughed  outright. 

"What  a  perfect  fool!"  thought  Nat.  "I 
wonder  if  anybody  will  ever  give  him  anything  to 
do?" 

"  What  can  I  do  for  you,  young  man  ?  "  asked 
the  jeweler,  turning  to  the  boy. 

"  I  am  looking  for  work,  sir." 

"  Are  your  expectations  as  high  as  those  of  the 
chap  who  just  left?" 

"  No,  sir.  I  am  willing  to  work  hard  and  I  am 
not  afraid  of  long  hours." 

"  Then  you  are  not  a  dude  ?  " 

"  No,  sir.    Do  I  look  like  one?  " 

"  You  look  like  a  country  lad." 

"  I  came  from  the  country  about  a  month  ago. 
I've  been  working  for  Trumbull  &  Davison,  the 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  79 

paper  dealers.  But  they  have  sold  out  to  another 
firm  and  don't  need  me  any  longer. " 

"  I  see.  Well,  I  am  sorry  for  you,  for  you  look 
bright  and  honest.  But  I  need  somebody  with  ex- 
perience in  the  jewelry  line." 

"  Then  you  haven't  any  place  that  I  can 
fill?" 

"No,  I— but  hold  on.  I'll  tell  you  what  I 
might  do.  Do  you  know  anything  about  horses  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  And  about  a  garden  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.    I  was  brought  up  on  a  farm." 

"  I  need  a  man  around  my  country  home  in 
New  Jersey.  I  might  try  you  there,  at  twelve 
dollars  a  month  and  your  board." 

Again  Nat's  face  fell. 

"  Thank  you,  but  I  want  to  get  something  to 
do  in  the  city,"  said  he.  "  I  am  tired  of  farm 
life." 

"  Then  I  can't  give  you  anything,"  and  the 
jeweler  turned  away. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  day  Nat  visited 
several  other  stores  and  offices.  But  everywhere 
he  received  the  same  answer — that  he  was  too 
late  and  the  position  advertised  was  already 
filled. 

"  Perhaps  I  did  wrong  not  to  take  that  position 
over  in  New  Jersey,"  he  thought,  on  his  way  to 


8o  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

his  boarding  house.  "  But  I  don't  want  to  go 
back  to  farm  work  if  I  can  help  it." 

Two  additional  days  passed,  and  still  Nat  found 
nothing  to  do,  although  he  tramped  from  Forty- 
second  Street  clear  down  to  the  Battery  several 
times.  Then  he  obtained  a  job  which  lasted 
three  days  and  paid  him  but  two  dollars. 

"  This  isn't  earning  a  living,"  he  reasoned. 
"  Unless  I  do  better  I'll  have  to  try  selling  papers 
or  blacking  boots." 

One  morning  he  did  try  selling  papers,  under 
the  tutorship  of  Dick,  but  the  effort  was  not  a 
success.  By  noon  he  had  earned  exactly  nineteen 
cents  and  had  sixteen  papers  still  on  hand. 

"  I  guess  you  wasn't  cut  out  for  a  newsboy," 
said  Dick,  frankly.  "  What  you  want  to  do  is, 
to  get  a  steady  job  in  a  store  or  office." 

"  Yes,  but  the  jobs  are  mighty  scarce,"  an- 
swered Nat. 

A  week  passed,  and  the  country  boy  could  find 
nothing  more  to  do  that  was  steady.  One  day  he 
helped  a  man  distribute  bills,  and  on  another  oc- 
casion he  carried  out  packages  for  a  florist,  and 
the  two  jobs  brought  him  in  just  a  dollar.  By 
this  time  the  soles  were  worn  from  his  shoes  and 
he  had  to  have  them  mended. 

"  Making  one's  way  in  the  city  isn't  so  easy 
after  all,"  he  thought  one  night,  as  he  sat  in  his 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  81 

li'ttle  room,  on  the  edge  of  the  bed.  He  had 
been  counting  up  his  money  and  found  that  he  had 
but  a  little  over  four  dollars  left. 

"  I'll  have  to  give  Mrs.  Talcott  three  and  a  half 
of  that,"  he  continued,  "  and  that  will  leave  me 
sixty-five  cents.  I've  got  to  hustle  or  I'll  be  high 
and  dry  by  next  week." 

Nat  hustled  all  of  the  next  week,  but  without  re- 
sults. In  one  store  the  proprietor  was  unusually 
harsh  to  him,  and  he  came  back  to  Mrs.  Talcott's 
house  more  downcast  than  ever. 

"  I  guess  they  don't  want  me  in  New  York 
after  all,"  he  mused.  "  If  I  can't  get  something 
to  do  I  can't  stay  here,  for  Mrs.  Talcott  can't 
afford  to  keep  me.  I'll  have  to  starve!  " 

He  was  so  disheartened  that  he  did  not  feel 
like  eating.  Immediately  after  the  meal  he  went 
to  his  little  room.  Then,  of  a  sudden  he  thought 
of  the  letter  Paul  Hampton  had  given  him. 

"  I  may  as  well  open  that,"  he  reasoned. 
"  Goodness  knows  I  am  short  enough  of  funds, 
and  pretty  well  discouraged  too." 

The  letter  was  in  his  pocket,  still  pinned  fast, 
and  he  brought  it  forth  and  gazed  at  it  specu- 
latively. 

"  It  would  be  just  like  him  to  put  a  five-dollar 
bill  in  it,"  he  thought. 

With  his  penknife  he  slit  the  envelope  open,  and 


8i  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

looked  inside.  It  contained  a  slip  of  paper  and 
another  slip,  of  a  green  color. 

"  A  bill,  as  sure  as  I'm  in  this  room !  "  he 
ejaculated.  "  I  don't  suppose  it's  less  than  a  five, 
and  maybe  it's  a  ten.  If  he — well,  I  declare !  " 

Nat  rushed  to  the  window  to  look  at  the  bill, 
and  then  with  a  gasp  he  sank  back  on  the  only 
chair  which  the  little  bedroom  contained.  He 
could  scarcely  believe  the  evidence  of  his  senses. 

The  bank  bill  was  one  for  a  hundred  dollars. 


CHAPTER  XI 

WHAT  A  HUNDRED  DOLLARS  DID 

NAT  continued  to  gaze  at  the  bill  like  one  in 
a  dream.  He  had  never  seen  a  greenback  that 
was  worth  a  hundred  dollars  before,  but  he  had 
no  doubt  of  its  genuineness. 

"  A  hundred  dollars ! "  he  repeated  several 
times.  "  Why,  it's  a  small  fortune !  " 

Then  he  began  to  wonder  if  Paul  Hampton  had 
not  made  a  mistake,  and  turned  to  the  slip  of 
paper,  upon  which  he  found  written : 

"  I  give  you  this  hundred  dollars  for  what  you 
did  for  me  at  Niagara  Falls.  Don't  be  dis- 
couraged. If  you  ever  need  a  friend,  write  or 
come  and  see  me.  I  sincerely  hope  the  money 
will  bring  you  good  fortune." 

"  What  a  kind  man,"  murmured  Nat,  and  read 
the  note  again.  "  It  was  a  mighty  lucky  thing 
for  me  that  I  went  to  the  Falls." 

When  he  went  to  bed  he  felt  rich,  and  he  came 
to  the  breakfast  table  whistling  merrily. 

83 


S4  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Hullo,"  cried  Dick,  "  have  you  struck  luck  at 
last?" 

"  I'm  in  luck  in  one  way,"  answered  our  hero. 
"  Look  at  that,"  and  he  showed  the  bank  bill. 

"  Why,  it's  a  hundred  dollars,  Nat !  "  And  the 
newsboy's  eyes  opened  widely. 

"  Exactly." 

"  Where  on  earth  did  you  get  the  money  ?  " 

"  A  gentleman  gave  it  to  me." 

"What  for?" 

"  For  saving  his  life.  But  I  didn't  know  I  had 
it  until  I  went  to  bed  last  night." 

"  You're  talking  in  riddles." 

"  I'll  explain,"  and  then  our  hero  told  as  much 
of  the  Niagara  Falls  episode  as  he  deemed  neces- 
sary. 

"  Here  is  the  note,"  he  concluded,  showing  the 
slip  of  paper,  which  was  unsigned.  "  I  don't  feel 
at  liberty  to  mention  the  gentleman's  name.  I 
don't  think  it  would  be  just  right." 

"  A  rich  man  like  that  would  be  a  fool  to  com- 
mit suicide,"  said  Dick,  bluntly.  "  What  are  you 
going  to  do  with  all  that  money?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  But  I  shan't  squander  it,  I 
can  tell  you  that." 

:(  You  can  go  into  business  for  yourself  on  that 
amount." 

"  Maybe,  but  I  guess  I  had  better  keep  on 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  85 

hunting  for  a  job.  I  can  go  into  business  for 
myself  when  I  know  more  about  New  York.'* 

"  That's  where  you  are  sensible.  You  might 
lose  your  money  in  double-quick  time  in  your  own 
business." 

Nat  put  the  bill  away  very  carefully,  and  then 
went  out  to  look  for  a  position  as  before.  But 
the  week  passed  and  nothing  turned  up. 

On  Sunday  the  country  boy  attended  a  church 
in  the  vicinity  of  his  boarding  house,  and  in  the 
afternoon  he  took  a  walk  to  Central  Park.  In 
the  evening  he  stayed  at  home  and  read  a  paper 
which  Dick  brought  in. 

As  was  natural  Nat  read  over  the  want  adver- 
tisements very  carefully.  It  was  not  long  before 
he  came  to  one  which  excited  his  curiosity.  The 
advertisement  was  as  follows : 

"WANTED— A  clerk,  to  whom  a  liberal 
salary  will  be  paid.  One  preferred  who  comes 
from  the  country  and  is  not  too  old.  References 
expected.  Must  deposit  $100  as  security,  for 
which  interest  will  be  paid.  Inquire  Room  24, 
Dallax  Building,  Broadway." 

'  That  ought  to  strike  me,"  mused  Nat,  as  he 
laid  down  the  paper.  "  Just  the  thing,  and  no  mis- 
take. I'll  go  and  see  about  it." 


86  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

Our  hero  had  acquired  sufficient  knowledge  of 
New  York  to  find  the  place  indicated  in  the  ad- 
vertisement without  much  trouble.  It  was  a  four- 
story  stone  building,  and  he  walked  up  two  flights 
of  stairs  until  he  reached  Room  24.  On  the  door 
was  the  sign : 

HAMILTON  DART 
BROKERAGE  AND  COMMISSIONS 

Entering  the  office  he  found  it  plainly  but 
neatly  furnished  with  two  desks  and  several 
chairs.  In  front  of  one  of  the  desks  sat  a  middle- 
aged  man,  well  dressed,  and  smoking  a  cigar. 

"Is  this  Mr.  Dart?"  questioned  Nat,  taking 
off  his  hat. 

"  That  is  my  name,"  responded  Hamilton  Dart, 
with  a  keen  glance  at  our  hero. 

"  Did  you  advertise  for  a  clerk.  I  saw  an 
advertisement " 

"  Oh,  yes !  "  interrupted  the  man.  "  Pray  be 
seated,"  and  he  motioned  to  one  of  the  chairs. 
:t  You  came  to  see  about  the  place,  did  you?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  You  advertised  that  you  would  like 
somebody  from  the  country,  and  that  hits  me." 

"  You  came  from  the  country  to  try  your 
luck?" 

"  Yes,  sir.    I  got  tired  of  the  farm." 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  87 

Hamilton  Dart  smiled  good-naturedly,  and  blew 
a  cloud  of  smoke  toward  the  ceiling  of  his  office. 

"  I  don't  blame  you.  I  got  tired  of  the  farm 
myself  when  I  was  about  your  age,  and  came  here 
with  less  than  a  hundred  dollars  in  my  pocket." 

"  Well,  I  came  with  just  a  little  more  than 
that,"  answered  Nat,  innocently. 

"  Indeed !  Then  you  are  better  off  than  I  was. 
But  I  shan't  complain,  for  I  have  made  money 
right  along.  But  what  do  you  think  I  am  worth 
now?" 

"  I  don't  know,  I  am  sure — five  or  ten  thousand 
dollars  maybe." 

"  Nearly  fifty  thousand  dollars,"  and  Hamilton 
Dart  looked  at  Nat,  coolly  and  innocently. 

"  Fifty  thousand !  "  cried  the  boy.  "  You've 
certainly  been  lucky.  I  wish  I  could  make  that 
much." 

"  You  have  the  same  opportunities  that  I  had. 
Let  me  see,  what  did  you  say  your  name  was  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  say.     It  is  Nat  Nason." 

"  I  am  glad  to  know  you.  You  have  a  bright 
and  honest  face,  and  faces  count  a  good  deal  with 


me." 


This  was  gratifying  to  Nat,  and  he  could  not 
help  but  think  that  Mr.  Dart  was  a  pleasant 
gentleman  with  whom  to  deal. 

"  I  advertised  for  a  country  young  man  because 


88  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

I  was  that  myself  once,  and  I  like  to  help  country 
young  men  along,"  continued  Hamilton  Dart. 
"  You  are  out  of  work  at  present  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  worked  for  a  firm,  but  they  sold 
out  to  another  firm." 

"  I  see.  Have  you  any  recommendations  ?  Not 
that  they  are  strictly  necessary  from  one  who 
looks  so  honest." 

"  I  can  refer  you  to  the  firm  I  worked  for." 

"  That  will  be  satisfactory,  although  I  don't 
mind  telling  you  that  I  am  very  particular  in  the 
selection  of  my  clerks.  So  far  I  have  rejected 
seventeen  who  applied." 

"  I  should  try  my  best  to  do  what  was  right/' 
answered  Nat,  modestly. 

"  That  is  the  way  I  like  to  hear  a  person  talk/7 

;<  Then  you  will  take  me?  " 

"  We  haven't  agreed  on  terms  yet.  What  do 
you  expect  in  the  way  of  salary?  " 

"  I  guess  I'll  leave  that  to  you,"  answered  Nat, 
after  some  hesitation. 

"  What  did  you  get  at  your  last  place  ?  " 

"  Seven  dollars  a  week." 

"  Humph !  Your  employer  was  not  very  liberal. 
A  clerk  that  is  worth  anything  to  me  is  worth  ten 
dollars  a  week  at  least." 

The  mentioning  of  ten  dollars  made  Nat's  heart 
jump. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  89 

"  If  you'll  pay  me  ten  dollars  a  week,  Mr. 
Dart,  I'll  do  my  level  best  to  earn  it'' 

"  Do  you  write  a  fair  hand?  " 

"  Here  is  my  handwriting,"  answered  the  boy, 
and  wrote  his  name  on  a  piece  of  paper. 

"  That  is  quite  good — for  a  boy.  I  think  you 
will  improve  by  practice.  Here  you  will  have 
quite  some  writing  to  do,  and  bills  to  sort  out. 
But  the  work  will  not  be  difficult,  for  the  summer 
is  our  dull  season." 

"  I  see." 

"  By  the  way,  I  suppose  you  know  I  require  a 
deposit  of  one  hundred  dollars  from  each  of  my 
clerks,"  went  on  Hamilton  Dart,  with  assumed 
carelessness.  "  Sometimes  my  clerks  have  quite 
some  money  to  handle  for  me." 

"  I  can  make  that  deposit,"  answered  Nat. 
"Will  I  get  a  receipt  for  it?" 

"  To  be  sure,  and  I  will  also  pay  you  six  per 
cent,  interest  on  the  money.  You  can  have  it 
back  whenever  you  leave  my  service.  When 
can  you  make  the  deposit  ?  " 

"  Right  now,  if  you  say  so." 

"  Very  well ;  I'll  make  out  the  receipt." 

Hamilton  Dart  wrote  out  a  receipt  for  a 
hundred  dollars,  and  signed  his  name  with  a 
flourish.  He  passed  it  to  Nat,  and  the  boy 
handed  him  the  hundred-dollar  bill. 


90  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

:<  You  don't  believe  in  carrying  small  bills," 
said  the  man,  with  an  assumed  smile. 

"  That  is  the  only  big  bill  I  ever  owned,"  was 
the  answer. 

Hamilton  Dart  pocketed  the  bill,  and  looked 
out  of  the  window  as  if  in  deep  thought. 

"  I  was  thinking  you  might  go  to  work  to-day, 
but  perhaps  it  will  be  as  well  to  go  to  work  to- 
morrow," he  said,  after  a  pause.  "  Come  at 
nine  o'clock  sharp." 

"  I  will,  sir." 

"  Then  that  is  all  for  the  present.  I  am  sure 
we  will  get  along  very  well  together.  To-morrow 
another  clerk  will  be  here  to  help  3  ou  along." 

Hamilton  Dart  turned  to  his  desk,  and  began 
to  write.  Feeling  himself  dismissed,  Nat  said 
"  good-morning,"  and  bowed  himself  out.  The 
man  listened  to  his  footsteps  as  he  descended  the 
stairs,  and  then  gave  a  low  chuckle. 

"  That  was  easy,  Nick,"  he  muttered.  "  Two 
so  far.  I  wonder  how  many  more  fools  I'll 
catch  before  the  game  plays  out  ?  " 


CHAPTER  XII 

ON  THE  BROOKLYN  BRIDGE 

"  WELL,,  I've  struck  luck  again,"  said  Nat, 
when  he  arrived  at  his  boarding  place,  and  met 
Dick  Talcott. 

"  Got  a  job?  "  questioned  the  newsboy. 

"  Yes." 

"  I  hope  you're  going  to  get  pretty  good 
wages  ?  "  x 

"  Ten  dollars  per  week,"  answered  Nat,  with 
just  a  trace  of  pride  in  his  voice. 

"  Ten  dollars.     That  is  luck.     What  at?  " 

"  I'm  in  a  broker's  office,  and  I'm  to  do  writing 
and  sorting  out  bills." 

"Where  is  the  place?" 

"  Down  on  Broadway." 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  of  this,  Nat,"  said  the  news- 
boy. "  Wish  I  could  strike  something  like  that." 

"  Perhaps  you  will  some  day,  Dick." 

"  The  trouble  is  I  can't  write  very  well.  I 
never  had  much  schooling." 

"  If  you  wish,  I'll  teach  you  how  to  write.  It 
always  came  easy  to  me." 

91 


92  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Will  you  teach  me?  I'll  do  my  best  to  learn. 
We  can  go  at  it  nights." 

Early  on  the  following  morning,  Nat  pre- 
sented himself  at  the  office  on  Broadway.  He 
had  shined  his  shoes  and  brushed  his  clothes,  and 
presented  a  very  neat  appearance.  He  found 
Hamilton  Dart  at  his  desk,  and  smoking  as  be- 
fore. 

"  I  wish  you  to  go  to  the  post  office  for  me," 
said  the  man,  as  soon  as  he  entered.  "  Go  to  the 
general  delivery  window  and  ask  for  letters  for 
Samuel  Barrows.  That  is  my  sick  brother-in- 
law  who  is  visiting  me  from  Michigan." 

"  Yes,  sir/'   - 

"  Of  course  you  know  where  the  post  office 
is?" 

"  Oh,  yes.     I've  been  past  there  several  times." 

"  You  needn't  be  in  a  hurry.  Wait  until  they 
sort  the  eleven-o'clock  mail." 

"  Yes,  sir." 

The  distance  to  the  post  office  was  a  consider- 
able one.  But  Nat  was  a  good  walker,  and  found 
it  was  only  half-past  nine  when  he  got  there.  To 
while  away  the  time  he  determined  to  walk  out  on 
the  Brooklyn  Bridge  and  take  in  the  sights  from 
that  elevated  structure. 

Making  his  way  through  the  crowd  on  Park 
Row,  he  was  soon  out  on  the  bridge,  and  walk-ing 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  93 

in  the  direction  of  Brooklyn.  There  was  a  stiff 
breeze  blowing,  and  several  times  his  hat  was  al- 
most lifted  from  his  head. 

Suddenly  he  heard  a  shout,  and  saw  a  stout 
man  running  wildly  after  some  papers  which  the 
wind  was  carrying  along  the  walk  on  the  bridge. 
The  man  secured  one  of  the  papers,  but  two  others 
were  fast  blowing  beyond  his  reach,  when  Nat 
rushed  up  and  secured  them  just  as  they  were  on 
the  point  of  being  carried  into  the  river. 

"  Have — you — got  them?  "  puffed  the  man,  as 
Nat  came  towards  him. 

"  Yes,  sir.  Here  you  are,"  and  Nat  held  out 
the  papers. 

"  Good !  I  was  afraid  they  were  lost  to  me !  " 
And  the  stranger  heaved  a  heavy  sigh  of  relief. 

"  Were  they  valuable  ?  "  asked  our  hero,  curi- 
ously. 

"  Quite  so  They  are  the  legal  documents  in 
an  important  real  estate  case  now  before  the 
courts.  It  was  very  kind  of  you  to  pick  them  up 
for  me." 

"  Oh,  it  wasn't  so  much  to  do/'  answered  Nat. 

"  Nevertheless,  I  am  much  obliged,"  added 
the  stout  man,  warmly.  "  I  shouldn't  have  come 
out  on  the  bridge  with  them.  But  I  love  to  get 
the  breeze.  I  think  it  does  me  good.  Much 
obliged ;  "  and  then  he  passed  on. 


94  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  I  guess  he's  a  lawyer,  or  a  real  estate  dealer," 
thought  Nat.  "  Well,  he  ought  to  walk.  It  may 
take  some  of  the  fat  off  of  him." 

Nat  walked  half-way  to  Brooklyn,  and  then 
back  again.  Shortly  after  eleven  o'clock  he  pre- 
sented himself  at  the  proper  window  of  the  post 
office. 

"  Has  the  eleven  o'clock  mail  been  sorted  yet/' 
he  asked. 

"  Certainly." 

"  Have  you  any  letters  for  Samuel  Barrows?  " 

The  clerk  looked  through  one  of  the  boxes  be- 
side him. 

"  Nothing/'  he  answered,  briefly. 

"Nothing  at  all?" 

The  post  office  clerk  shook  his  head.  Seeing 
this  Nat  walked  away,  and  started  back  for  the 
office. 

He  did  not  suspect  that  his  employer  had  sent 
him  to  the  post  office  merely  to  get  him  out  of 
the  office,  yet  such  was  the  fact.  Hamilton  Dart 
had  no  brother-in-law  named  Samuel  Barrows. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  Hamilton  Dart — that  was 
not  his  real  name,  but  let  us  use  it  for  the  present, 
nevertheless — was  nothing  but  a  swindler.  He 
was  worth  only  a  few  hundred  dollars,  and  his 
brokerage  and  commission  business  was  such  in 
name  only. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  95 

While  Nat  was  on  his  post  office  errand, 
Hamilton  Dart  had  two  other  callers.  The  first 
was  a  bright  young  man,  hailing  from  Newark, 
New  Jersey. 

"  I  am  sure  you  will  suit  me,"  said  Hamilton 
Dart,  after  questioning  the  young  man.  "  I  am 
very  much  pleased  with  your  appearance/' 

*  Thank  you,"  was  the  brief  answer. 

"  You  may  go  to  work  to-morrow  at  twelve 
dollars  per  week.  Will  that  suit  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  You  will,  of  course,  put  up  one  hundred  dol- 
lars as  security,"  added  the  assumed  broker. 

"What  security  will  you  give?"  demanded 
the  bright  young  man  from  Newark. 

"  Oh,  I'll  give  you  my  personal  note,"  answered 
Hamilton  Dart,  carelessly. 

"  Well,  I'll  think  it  over." 

"  Eh  ?  I  thought  you  wanted  to  accept  on  the 
spot  ?  "  demanded  the  swindler. 

"  No,  sir,"  answered  the  young  man.  He  in- 
tended to  make  some  inquiries  into  Hamilton 
Dart's  financial  standing  before  investing  his 
cash.  "  I'll  come  around  again  to-morrow  morn- 
ing." 

"  I  shall  give  the  place  to  somebody  else  before 
that  time,"  was  the  cold  response. 

"  If  you  do,  I'll  be  out  of  it,"  was  the  equally 


96  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

cold  answer  of  the  young1  Jerseyman,  and  he 
walked  out  of  the  office. 

"  One  fish  I  didn't  land,"  muttered  Hamilton 
Dart  to  himself.  "  Better  luck  next  time." 

Hardly  had  the  young-  man  left  than  a  sickly- 
looking  middle-aged  man  appeared.  He  had 
been  in  the  hospital  for  two  months,  and  out  of 
work  for  twice  that  length  of  time. 

"  You  advertised  for  a  clerk,"  he  said,  sitting 
down  on  a  chair. 

"  Yes." 

"  I  am  a  bookkeeper,  and  an  all-round  office 
man,"  added  the  sick  man.  "  I  am  willing  to 
work  hard  for  low  wages." 

"  I  am  always  willing  to  pay  good  wages  to 
the  right  man,"  answered  Hamilton  Dart, 
smoothly. 

At  this  the  face  of  the  sick  man  brightened. 

"  I  have  been  sick,"  he  went  on,  apologetically. 
"  But  I  am  getting  stronger  every  day." 

"  Well,  the  work  here  is  not  very  hard." 

"  What  could  you  pay  me?  " 

"  Twelve  dollars  per  week." 

"  That  would  suit  me  nicely." 

:t  Then  you  can  come  to  work  to-morrow.  But 
you  will  have  to  put  up  one  hundred  dollars  as 
security.  On  that  I  will  allow  you  six  per  cent, 
interest." 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE  97 

At  this  announcement  the  face  of  the  sick  man 
fell. 

"  I  am  very  sorry,  sir,  but  I  haven't  the  money. 
My  sickness  has  reduced  me  almost  to  my  last 
dollar." 

"  Then  I  can't  hire  you,"  said  Hamilton  Dart, 
harshly. 

"  I  can  give  you  some  excellent  references,  sir." 

"  No,  I  don't  care  for  references.  My  clerks 
have  to  furnish  cash  security.  I  employ  no 
others.  You  had  better  see  if  you  can't  raise  the 
money." 

"  I  don't  know  how  I  can  do  it." 

"  Haven't  you  any  friends  or  relatives  ?  " 

"  I  have  a  sister  in  Brooklyn.  She  might 
possibly  loan  the  amount." 

"  Then  you  had  better  see  her.  I  will  keep 
the  place  open  for  you  for  a  couple  of  days." 

The  sick  man  pleaded  to  be  taken  on,  but 
Hamilton  Dart  was  obdurate,  and  at  last  the  visi- 
tor left  the  office. 

"  Hang  the  luck ;  he  must  take  me  for  a  charity 
association,"  muttered  the  swindler.  "  Two  lost! 
This  business  isn't  paying  as  well  as  I  hoped  it 
would." 

When  Nat  came  back  he  was  somewhat  tired 
from  his  long  tramp.  He  asked  his  employer 
what  he  should  do  next. 


98  FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Go  and  get  your  lunch,  and  be  back  in  an 
hour,"  was  the  answer. 

Hardly  had  Nat  left  the  office  than  a  young  fel- 
low named  Harry  Bray  appeared.  He  had  been 
in  to  see  Hamilton  Dart  before  and  carried  a 
hundred  dollars  in  his  vest  pocket. 

"  I  will  take  the  position,"  he  said,  and  handed 
over  his  money,  which  the  swindler  pocketed  with 
alacrity. 

"When  shall  I  go  to  work?"  asked  Harry 
Bray. 

"After  lunch.  You  will  have  another  new 
clerk  to  help  you,  a  fellow  named  Nat  Nason," 
answered  Hamilton  Dart. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

A    SWINDLE   EXPOSED 

WHEN  Nat  came  back  from  lunch  he  was  in- 
troduced to  Harry  Bray,  and  Hamilton  Dart 
brought  forth  several  packages  of  old  bills  and 
letters  and  also  a  couple  of  cheap  blank  books. 

"  I  want  these  things  sorted  out,"  said  he. 
"  Enter  all  names  in  the  books,  and  file  them 
away  according  to  date." 

This  seemed  easy  work,  and  both  of  the  young 
clerks  said  they  understood  what  was  wanted. 
Then  Hamilton  Dart  put  on  his  hat  and  left  the 
office. 

"  I  won't  be  back  this  afternoon,"  he  said. 
"  Lock  up  at  five  o'clock,  and  you,  Bray,  can  take 
the  key." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  Harry  Bray. 

"  This  isn't  very  hard,"  was  Nat's  comment, 
when  he  was  left  alone  with  his  fellow  clerk. 

"  It  is  about  as  easy  a  job  as  I  ever  struck," 
answered  Harry  Bray. 

"  It's  queer  there  are  no  customers  coming  in," 

99 


ioo         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

said  Nat,  an  hour  later.     "  Mr.  Dart  must  do 
most  of  his  business  outside. " 

"  A  good  many  brokers  do,  Nat.  They  have 
to  hustle  for  business  or  they  don't  get  any." 

The  afternoon  passed,  and  at  the  proper  time 
Nat  left  the  office  and  went  home. 

"  You've  certainly  struck  a  soft  snap/'  said 
Dick,  when  the  country  boy  had  related  his  ex- 
perience. "  Wish  I  could  strike  a  snap  like 
that." 

"  Perhaps  you  will  some  day,"  answered  Nat. 
"  Come,  I'll  give  you  a  lesson  in  writing  and  fig- 
ures to-night,"  and  he  did.  Dick  was  a  bright 
scholar,  so  it  proved  a  pleasure  more  than  a  task 
to  teach  him. 

Promptly  on  time  the  following  morning,  Nat 
went  to  the  office.  At  the  door  he  met  Harry 
Bray,  who  had  just  come  in  from  his  home  on 
Staten  Island.  They  opened  up  the  office  to- 
gether, one  doing  the  sweeping  and  the  other  the 
dusting. 

"  In  most  places  like  this,  the  office  boy  or  the 
janitor  does  such  work,"  said  Harry. 

"  I  don't  mind  it  in  the  least,"  answered  Nat. 

"  Oh,  neither  do  I." 

They  began  on  their  work  where  they  had 
left  off,  and  about  an  hour  later  their  employer 
put  in  an  appearance. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          101 

"  Hard  at  it,  eh  ?  "  he  said,  cheerily.  "  That's 
the  way  I  like  to  see  things  move.  Nat,  I  want 
you  to  go  to  the  post  office  again." 

"  Yes,  sir." 

In  a  few  minutes  our  hero  had  departed,  and 
then  Hamilton  Dart  turned  to  Harry  Bray. 

"  Bray,  here  is  an  important  document  to  de- 
liver to  a  party  living  near  Central  Park,"  said 
he.  "  Deliver  it,  and  get  a  receipt." 

"  I  will,  sir,"  answered  Harry  Bray,  and  in  a 
minute  more  he,  too,  was  gone. 

An  hour  later  there  was  a  knock  on  the  door, 
and  the  sick  man,  who  had  called  the  day  before, 
came  in. 

"Is  that  situation  still  open?"  he  questioned, 
anxiously. 

"  Why  do  you  ask?"  demanded  Hamilton 
Dart,  abruptly. 

"I  was  going  to  say  that  I  borrowed  that 
money  from  my  sister." 

"  6h !     Have  you  it  with  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Then,  if  you  wish  the  job,  you  can  take  it 
right  now.  Another  man  is  coming  to  see  me 
about  it  in  an  hour." 

"  I'll  take  the  job,"  said  Oliver  Ripple,  quickly, 
and  brought  forth  his  money.  Hamilton  Dart 
took  it,  and  gave  his  usual  receipt. 


102         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"What  interest  do  I  get  on  this?"  asked  the 
new  clerk,  anxiously. 

"  Six  per  cent." 

"Thank  you.  I  told  my  sister  I  thought  as 
much.  She  had  the  money  in  the  bank,  but  that 
only  paid  her  three  per  cent.  Six  per  cent,  will 
be  twice  as  good." 

"  You  may  come  to  work  to-morrow  morning 
at  nine,"  said  Hamilton  Dart. 

"  I'll  go  to  work  to-day,  if  you  say  so,  Mr. 
Dart." 

"  No,  my  other  clerks  can  take  care  of  the 
work  to-day.  Both  of  them  are  now  out  on 
errands." 

When  Oliver  Ripple  was  gone.  Hamilton  Dart 
smiled  broadly  to  himself. 

"Three  of  them,"  he  murmured.  "That's 
not  so  bad,  after  all.  I  wonder  if  that  chap  who 
was  to  come  at  half-past  ten  will  show  up  ?  " 

When  Nat  left  the  post  office  he  found  no  let- 
ters for  Samuel  Barrows. 

"  Mr.  Dart  will  be  disappointed  again,"  he 
thought.  "  But  it  is  not  my  fault." 

The  afternoon  passed  quietly.  Only  one  man 
called  at  the  office,  and  when  he  found  Hamilton 
Dart  was  not  in  he  disappeared  immediately. 

That  evening  Nat  gave  Dick  another  lesson, 
for  which  the  newsboy  was  very  grateful 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          1*3 

"  No  wonder  you  got  that  job,"  said  Dick. 
"  You  can  figure  like  lightning,  and  write  fine, 
too." 

"  I  don't  have  to  figure  much  at  the  office." 

"  How  do  you  like  your  boss?  " 

"  I  haven't  really  seen  enough  of  him  to  make 
up  my  mind." 

"  He  must  be  full  of  business." 

"  I  suppose  that  is  so." 

When  Nat  went  to  the  office  on  the  following 
day  he  again  met  Harry  Bray  at  the  entrance. 
They  went  upstairs  together,  and  found  two  men 
standing  in  the  hallway,  near  the  door  of  the 
office.  As  soon  as  they  entered  the  place  the 
men  followed  them. 

"  Neither  of  these  young  chaps  is  the  man," 
said  one  of  the  newcomers,  in  a  low  voice. 

"Where  is  Mr.  Hamilton  Dart?"  asked  the 
other. 

"  I  can't  say,  sir,"  answered  Harry  Bray.  "  He 
may  be  here  shortly." 

"  Are  you  a  partner  in  this  concern  ?  " 

"  No,  sir.     I  am  a  clerk." 

"  Are  you  a  clerk,  too?  "  asked  the  man,  turn- 
ing to  Nat. 

"  Yes,  sir.  Is  there  anything  we  qan  do  for 
you?" 

"  Don't  know  as  there  is,  young  man/'  was 


io4         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

the  short  answer.  "  We'll  wait  here  for  Mr. 
Dart." 

A  half-hour  passed  and  Oliver  Ripple  put  in  an 
appearance. 

"Where  is  Mr.  Dart?"  he  asked,  gazing 
around. 

"  He  is  not  here  yet,"  answered  Nat. 

"  I  am  his  new  clerk.  He  engaged  me  yester- 
day, and  told  me  to  come  to  work  this  morning." 

At  this  speech  the  two  men  who  had  come  in 
gazed  at  the  sick  man  curiously. 

"  So  you  were  engaged  yesterday?  "  asked  one 
in  a  low  tone. 

"  Yes." 

"  Excuse  me,  but  I'd  like  to  know  if  you  put 
up  any  money  as  security?  " 

"I  did— a  hundred  dollars." 

"  Ah !  "  And  each  of  the  two  men  looked  at 
his  companion  significantly. 

"Do  you  know  Mr.  Dart?"  asked  the  sick 
man. 

"  We  know  of  him." 

"  He  does  quite  a  business,  doesn't  he  ?  " 

"  He  does — in  his  own  way,"  was  the  sug- 
gestive answer. 

At  that  moment  came  a  tramping  on  the  stairs. 
Then  the  office  door  was  thrown  open,  and  Hamil- 
ton Dart  appeared. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          105 

"  There  he  is !  "  cried  one  of  the  men.  "  Just 
as  I  thought !  " 

He  started  for  the  doorway,  but  Hamilton 
Dart  was  too  quick  for  him.  He  backed  away, 
leaped  for  the  stairs,  and  went  down  flight  after 
flight,  four  and  five  steps  at  a  time.  Both  men 
gave  chase,  but  by  the  time  they  reached  the 
sidewalk  the  swindler  had  disappeared. 

"  Hullo !  what  can  this  mean  ?  "  cried  Nat,  in 
quick  alarm.  "  I  must  say  I  don't  like  this." 

"  Those  men  are  after  Mr.  Dart,"  came  from 
Harry  Bray. 

"  You  mind  the  office — I'll-  see  what  is  up," 
went  on  Nat,  and  followed  down  the  stairs. 

"  He  is  gone,  Parsons,"  said  one  of  the  men. 

'  You  are  sure  it  was  our  man?  " 

"  Yes,  confound  the  luck.  He  got  away  like 
a  slippery  eel." 

"  Did  Mr.  Dart  run  away  from  you  ?  "  asked 
Nat. 

"  That's  what  he  did,  young  man." 

"  What  did  he  run  for?" 

"  Perhaps  you  know  as  well  as  I  do." 

"  No,  I  don't." 

"  How  long  have  you  worked  for  that 
man?" 

"  Only  a  few  days." 

"  What  about  that  other  chap  upstairs  ?  " 


io6         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  He  came  to  work  about  the  time  I  did/' 

"  And  that  pale-looking  man,  too  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  any  more  about  him  than  you 
do." 

"  Did  you  place  any  money  in  your  employer's 
hands?" 

"  Yes,  a  hundred  dollars.  And  Harry  Bray, 
the  other  clerk,  put  up  the  same  amount." 

"  Humph !  I  reckon  you've  seen  the  last  of 
your  cash." 

"  What !  "  cried  Nat,  aghast.  "  Do  you  mean 
that?" 

"  I  sure  do." 

"  But — but "  Our  hero  was  so  stag- 
gered he  could  not  continue  for  the  moment. 

"  This  Hamilton  Dart — or  whatever  he  calls 
himself — is  a  first-class  swindler." 

"  A  swindler!  "  Nat  fell  up  against  the  door- 
way. "  I — I — then  my  money  is  gone  ?  " 

"  More  than  likely." 

"  Oh,  what  a  fool  I've  been !  And  I  thought 
he  was  such  a  gentleman." 

"  He  has  fooled  lots  of  folks  besides  you, 
young  man,"  said  one  of  the  men,  kindly,  for  he 
saw7  that  Nat  was  hard  hit. 

"  He  isn't  a  business  man  at  all  ?  " 

"  He  is  a  confidence  man  from  Chicago." 

By  this  time,  feeling  certain  something  was 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          107 

wrong,  Harry  Bray  and  Oliver  Ripple  came  be- 
low. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  confidence  man?" 
asked  Nat,  doubtfully. 

"  He  is  a. swindler;  one  of  the  kind  that  can 
tell  a  good  story  in  order  to  get  your  money." 

"  Who  is  a  swindler?  "  demanded  Harry  Bray. 

"  Our  employer,"  cried  Nat,  "  He  has  run 
away  with  our  money." 

"Has  Mr.  Dart  run  away?"  asked  the  sick 
man,  nervously. 

"  Yes." 

"  Oh !  And  to  think  I  borrowed  that  money 
from  my  poor  sister ! "  came  with  a  cry  of  an- 
guish, and  then  the  sick  man  sank  on  the  hallway 
stairs,  thoroughly  overcome. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

NAT  OBTAINS  ANOTHER   SITUATION 

"  How  is  it  that  you  know  so  much  about  this 
man?"  asked  Nat,  after  he  had  collected  his 
thoughts. 

"I  am  a  police  official  from  Chicago,"  an- 
swered one  of  the  two  men  who  had  tried  to  catch 
Hamilton  Dart.  "  We  have  been  on  this  rascal's 
trail  for  some  time." 

"Is  Hamilton  Dart  his  real  name?" 

"  No ;  his  real  name  is  Nick  Smithers.  He  is 
a  sly  rogue." 

"  Do  you  think  there  is  anyjchance  of  catching1 
him  ?  "  asked  Harry  Bray.  "  1  cannot  afford  to 
lose  my  money."  * 

"  Nor  I,"  added  our  hero. 

"  I  must  have  my  money  back !  "  groaned  the 
sick  man.  "  What  will  my  sister  say?  She  got  it 
out  of  the  bank  only  yesterday !  " 

"  I  wish  I  could  help  you,"  said  the  Chicago 
police  official.  "  We'll  do  what  we  can." 

All  went  back  to  the  office,  and  the  janitor  of 
the  building  was  called  in. 
108 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          109 

"  Sure,  an'  Mr.  Dart  has  had  the  office  only 
about  a  week,"  said  the  janitor.  "  He  hasn't 
paid  the  rent  yet.  He  said  he  was  in  the  habit 
of  payin'  in  the  middle  of  the  month." 

"  Then  the  owner  of  this  building  is  out  of 
pocket,  too,"  said  one  of  the  men  from  the 
West. 

An  examination  was  made  of  the  desk  used  by 
the  swindler,  but  nothing  of  value  was  found. 
The  letters  and  bills  were  of  no  consequence,  and 
the  blank  books  were  not  worth  twenty-five  cents 
each. 

"  Let  us  go  to  the  police  station,"  said  the  men, 
and  they  went  off,  followed  by  the  sick  man. 

"  This  is  the  worst  yet,"  remarked  Nat,  as  he 
dropped  into  the  one  easy  chair  of  which  the 
office  boasted.  "  And  I  thought  I  was  so  smart. 
I'm  a  regular  greeny,  if  ever  there  was  one !  " 
And  he  shook  his  head  bitterly. 

"I'm  in  che  same  boat,"  responded  his  fellow 
victim.  "  My  father  will  be  pretty  mad  when  he 
hears  of  this.  He  lent  me  the  money,  and  I  as- 
sured him  it  would  be  perfectly  safe." 

"  I  used  my  own  money,  but  it  was  almost  the 
last  dollar  I  had,"  said  our  hero,  soberly.  At  that 
moment  his  heart  felt  like  a  lump  of  lead  in  his 
bosom. 

"  What  do  you  suppose  we  can  do  about  it  ?  " 


no         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know." 

"  Do  you  know  where  this  Hamilton  Dart, 
alias  Nick  Smithers,  lived?" 

"  No." 

'  To  look  for  him  in  a  big  city  like  this  will  be 
like  looking-  for  a  needle  in  a  haystack." 

"  More  than  likely  he  won't  stay  in  this  city. 
He  may  .be  miles  away  already.  He  didn't  want 
to  see  those  men  from  Chicago." 

They  talked  the  matter  over  for  an  hour,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  a  detective  from  head- 
quarters came  to  interview  them.  The  detective 
took  charge  of  the  office,  and  that  seemed  to  be 
the  end  of  the  affair. 

"  Give  me  your  addresses,"  said  the  detective 
to  Nat  and  his  fellow  clerk.  "  If  we  hear  any- 
thing we  will  let  you  know,"  and  so  it  was  ar- 
ranged. 

Nat  felt  very  much  downcast  when  he  arrived 
at  his  boarding  house  that  evening.  Mrs.  Tal- 
cott  was  not  long  in  noticing  it. 

'*  You  seem  to  be  in  trouble,  Nat,"  said  she 
kindly,  for  she  had  taken  quite  a  fancy  to  the 
country  lad.  "  Can  I  help  you  in  any  way?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  he  answered,  bluntly.  "  I've 
gone  and  made  a  big  fool  of  myself." 

"  In  what  way?  "  asked  she  in  astonishment. 

"  I  thought  I  was  smart,  but  I'm  a  regular 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          in 

country  greeny.  I  let  a  man  swindle  me  out  of 
nearly  every  dollar  I  possessed." 

"  That  is  certainly  too  bad,  Nat.  How  did  it 
happen?  " 

For  answer  our  hero  made  a  clean  breast  of 
the  whole  matter.  While  he  was  telling  his  tale, 
Dick  came  in,  and  he  was  likewise  told. 

"  And  you  mean  to  say  that  you  lost  the  whole 
hundred  dollars ! "  ejaculated  the  newsboy. 
"  That's  awful,  Nat !  " 

"  I  wish  I  could  get  hold  of  that  Nick  Smithers. 
I'd — I'd  wring  his  neck  for  him !  " 

"  It  won't  do  any  good  to  look  for  him.  I 
know  his  kind.  He's  here  to-day  and  gone  to- 
morrow. Those  chaps  work  their  schemes  all 
over  the  States." 

Nat  was  in  no  humor  to  eat  supper,  and 
scarcely  touched  a  mouthful.  Mrs.  Talcott  and 
Dick  did  all  they  could  to  cheer  him  up. 

"  Make  the  best  of  it,"  said  the  newsboy. 
"  You'll  be  sure  to  strike  something  good  sooner 
or  later." 

"  I  guess  I'm  too  much  of  a  greeny  to  do  that," 
answered  Nat. 

That  night  when  our  hero  went  to  bed  he 
could  not  sleep.  His  ready  money  was  running 
low,  and  how  to  turn  he  did  not  know.  Bitterly 
he  upbraided  himself  for  having  trusted  Nick 


"2         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

Smithers,  but  this  did  no  good.  His  money 
was  gone,  and  it  was  doubtful  if  he  would  ever 
see  a  cent  of  it  again. 

"  I  ought  to  go  back  on  the  farm  where  I  be- 
long," he  muttered.  "  I'm  not  smart  enough  to 
get  along  in  a  city  like  New  York." 

But  by  morning  his  thoughts  took  a  turn,  and 
at  breakfast  his  eyes  were  as  bright  and  expect- 
ant as  ever. 

"  I'm  going  out  and  get  something  to  do/'  he 
said  firmly.  "  And  I'm  not  going  to  let  anybody 
get  the  best  of  me  again." 

"Do  not  worry,"  said  Mrs.  Talcott.  "You 
can  stay  here,  even  if  you  don't  get  anything 
right  away.  I'll  trust  you  for  the  board." 

"  You  are  very  kind,"  answered  Nat,  grate- 
fully. "  But  I  can't  stand  it  to  do  nothing." 

All  of  that  day  he  tramped  up  one  street  and 
down  another  looking  for  a  situation,  but  without 
success. 

He  could  have  had  one  job  as  an  errand  boy, 
but  the  wages  offered  were  but  two  dollars  per 
week. 

"I  can't  take  that,"  he  said.  "I've  got  to 
support  myself  even  if  I  can't  do  better." 

On  the  next  day  it  rained,  but  he  went  out, 
nevertheless,  with  an  umbrella  which  Mrs.  Tal- 
cott loaned  him. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          113 

He  had  several  advertisements,  taken  from  the 
morning  papers,  and  lost  no  time  in  applying  at 
first  one  place  and  then  another. 

The  third  place  offered  on  his  list  was  in  a  big 
office  building  down  near  the  corner  of  Broad- 
way and  Park  Row.  When  Nat  arrived  there 
he  found  half  a  dozen  young  fellows  ahead  of 
him. 

"  You  will  all  have  to  wait  until  Mr.  Garwell 
arrives/'  said  a  clerk  to  the  crowd.  "  I  expect 
him  any  moment." 

"  Hope  he  don't  keep  us  too  long,"  grumbled 
one  of  those  who  were  waiting.  "  I  don't  want 
to  lose  the  chance  of  another  job  if  I  can't  get 
this." 

"  You  need  not  wait  at  all  if  you  don't  care 
to,"  said  the  clerk. 

Two  others  came  in,  and  the  outer  office  was 
comfortably  filled,  when  a  stout  gentleman 
walked  in  quickly,  and  gave  a  glance  around. 

"  Hum !  "  said  he,  when  his  eyes  fell  upon  Nat, 
and  he  looked  at  our  hero  more  closely.  Nat  at 
once  recognized  the  newcomer  as  the  gentleman 
he  had  met  on  the  Brooklyn  Bridge. 

"  How  are  you,  young  man,"  said  the  gentle- 
man. 

"  Very  well,  sir,"  answered  Nat. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here?  " 


ii4         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  I  came  to  see  about  the  position  that  was  ad- 
vertised." 

"  Ah,  indeed !  "  The  gentleman  gave  Nat  an- 
other look.  "  Come  inside." 

:'  Yes,  sir,"  and  our  hero  quickly  followed  him 
to  an  inner  office.  Here  the  gentleman  hung  up 
his  hat,  and  sank  down  in  an  easy  chair  at  a  desk. 
"  Take  a  seat.  I  suppose  you  remember  meeting 
me?  "  This  was  said  with  a  little  smile. 

"  Oh,  yes,  sir ;  on  the  bridge." 
'  You  did  me  a  good  turn,  and  I've  not  for- 
gotten it.     So  you  want  a  job,  eh?     What's  your 
name,  and  where  are  you  from?  " 

Nat  told  him,  and  also  told  the  gentleman  some 
of  his  experiences  since  arriving  in  the  metropolis. 
John  Garwell  listened  with  interest. 

"  I  fancy  I  can  give  you  an  opening,"  said  he. 
"  Here,  write  a  few  lines  on  this  sheet  of  paper." 
Nat  did  so.  "  A  very  good  hand.  How  much 
do  you  want  to  start  on  ?  " 

"  Enough  to  support  myself,  Mr.  Garwell." 

"  That's  a  fair  answer.  Can  you  live  on  seven 
dollars  a  week?  " 

"  I  can  live  on  less  than  that." 

"  Some  young  men  want  a  fortune  to  start 
on.  Yesterday  a  young  man  called  here  for  an 
opening.  He  had  had  no  experience,  yet  he 
wanted  not  less  than  twenty  dollars  a  week." 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE         115 

"  I  guess  you  didn't  engage  him,"  said  Nat, 
with  a  smile. 

"  I  did  not.  Well,  I'll  give  you  a  trial,  at  seven 
dollars  a  week.  If  you  prove  satisfactory  I'll 
give  you  eight  dollars  at  the  end  of  three 
months,  and  ten  dollars  at  the  end  of  the  first 
year." 

"  Thank  you,  very  much." 

"  You  can  go  to  work  at  once."  Mr.  Garwell 
touched  a  push-button  on  his  desk,  and  a  clerk 
appeared.  "  Wilson,  this  is  the  new  clerk,  Nat 
Nason.  You  can  show  him  his  duties.  And  tell 
those  others  that  are  waiting  that  the  position  is 
filled." 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Wait  a  minute,   Nason.     Wilson,   you  can 

go." 

The  clerk  disappeared,  closing  the  door  be- 
hind him. 

"  I  just  wished  to  say  a  word  about  what  you 
did  for  me  the  other  day." 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right." 

"  Here  is  a  five-dollar  bill  for  a  reward." 

"  But  I  don't  want  any  reward,  Mr.  Garwell. 
It  was  nice  of  you  to  give  me  the  position." 

"  Didn't  you  just  own  up  that  you  were  short 
of  funds." 

"  Yes,  sir,  but " 


ii6         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  That's  all  right.  Take  the  money.  And 
now  let  me  tell  you  something  as  a  friend." 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  I  like  my  clerks  to  look  neat  and  clean  at  all 
times.  It  pays  to  look  that  way.  Never  come 
down  to  the  office  with  a  dirty  collar,  or  with 
dirty  shoes." 

"  I'll  remember  that." 

"  I  don't  ask  you  to  dress  in  the  topmost  style, 
or  be  a  dude.  But  keep  yourself  neat  and  clean." 

"  I  will,  sir." 

"  Then  that  is  all.  If  anything  doesn't  go 
right  in  the  office  don't  hesitate  to  let  me  know." 


CHAPTER  XV 

ABNER   AND  THE   WIDOW   GUFF     . 

IT  was  with  a  light  heart  that  Nat  went  to 
work  for  Mr.  John  Garwell.  He  felt  that  his 
employer  was  a  man  to  be  trusted,  and  one  who 
would  do  the  best  he  could  for  those  under  him. 

"  It  was  a  lucky  thing  for  me  that  I  took  that 
walk  on  the  Brooklyn  Bridge,"  he  reasoned. 
"  Perhaps  I  shouldn't  have  gotten  the  job  other- 
wise." 

The  clerk,  Wilson,  proved  kind  and  con- 
siderate, and  under  him  our  hero  learned  rapidly. 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you  that  you'd  strike  luck,"  said 
Dick.  "  Now,  all  you've  got  to  do  is  to  nurse 
that  job  carefully,  and  you'll  be  at  the  top  of  the 
firm  some  day." 

"  Well,  I  am  going  to  nurse  it  as  carefully  as 
I  can,"  laughed  Nat. 

When  our  hero  had  time  he  went  to  the  police 
headquarters  to  see  if  anything  had  been  learned 
of  Nick  Smithers. 

"  Nothing  yet,"  said  the  officer  in  charge. 
"  But  I  think  he'll  be  run  down  sooner  or  later." 

117 


n8         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  I'd  like  to  run  him  down  myself." 

"  I've  no  doubt  you  would." 

Nat  had  been  working  for  Mr.  Garwell  about 
a  week  when  he  received  another  letter  from  Sam 
Price.  Sam  wrote,  in  part,  as  follows: 

"  Since  I  sent  my  last  letter,  there  have  been 
great  changes  at  your  uncle's  farm.  He  has  dis- 
charged the  housekeeper,  and  some  say  he  is  court- 
ing the  Widow  Guff.  For  all  I  know  they'll  be 
married  pretty  soon.  More  than  that,  I  heard 
somebody  say  that  he  was  thinking  of  coming  to 
New  York  to  look  for  you." 

Nat  read  this  communication  with  close  at- 
tention. He  knew  the  Widow  Guff  as  a  person 
who  took  boarders  in  the  town  where  he  had  sold 
his  cow.  She  had  three  children,  and  had  the 
reputation  of  being  a  rather  tart  and  self-willed 
woman. 

"  I  shouldn't  think  Uncle  Abner  would  want 
to  marry  that  widow,"  thought  Nat.  "  Wonder 
what  put  it  into  his  head  ?  And  what  put  it  into 
his  head  to  come  to  New  York  to  look  for  me? 
I'd  rather  he  would  keep  his  distance." 

Nat  did  not  know  that  for  the  past  few  months 
the  Widow  Guff  had  had  a  hard  time  of  it  with 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          119 

a  number  of  her  boarders,  and  could  scarcely 
make  both  ends  meet,  yet  such  was  a  fact. 

One  day  the  widow  called  on  a  friend,  and 
from  this  friend  learned  that  Abner  Balberry  had 
discharged  his  housekeeper,  and  was  keeping 
house  by  himself. 

"  It's  a  shame  for  him  to  be  all  alone,"  thought 
the  widow.  "  And  with  that  nephew  of  his  away, 
too!  Some  good  woman  ought  to  be  keeping 
house  for  him." 

The  widow  had  long  had  her  eye  on  Abner 
Balberry,  whom  she  knew  fairly  well.  She  knew 
Abner  was  well-to-do,  and  keeping  a  boarding 
house  seemed  of  a  sudden  a  great  burden  to  her. 

"  Wish  I  could  make  Abner  propose,"  she  said 
to  herself.  "  He  just  ought  to  have  a  wife." 

So  the  widow  kept  on  thinking,  and  by  and  by 
her  face  brightened.  She  had  an  idea,  which  she 
resolved  to  put  into  execution  the  very  first  op- 
portunity. 

"  Fred,"  said  she  to  her  son,  a  tall  gawk  of 
a  boy,  "  I  want  you  to  go  to  Mr.  Abner  Balberry 's 
house,  and  ask  him  if  he  will  stop  in  and  see  me 
the  first  time  he  comes  to  town." 

"  Wot  do  yer  want,  ma?  "  drawled  Fred. 

"  Never  mind,  Fred.  Just  ask  him  to  call. 
Say  I'd  like  a  little  advice  from  him." 

Fred  shuffled  off  on  his  errand,  and  found  Nat's 


120         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

uncle  down  in  the  henhouse,  searching  foi 
eggs. 

"  Ma  wants  you  to  come  and  see  her,"  said 
the  youth. 

"Wants  me  to  come  an'  see  her?"  queried 
Nat's  uncle. 

"  Yep." 

"What  for?" 

"  Dunno.     Said  she'd  like  some  advice." 

"All  right;  I'll  come,"  said  Abner. 

That  afternoon,  after  milking,  he  arrayed  him- 
self in  his  best,  and  drove  over  to  the  widow's 
boarding  house.  He  was  glad  to  make  the  visit, 
for  since  discharging  his  housekeeper  he  had 
found  life  on  the  farm  rather  lonely. 

The  widow  greeted  him  warmly,  and  asked  him 
into  her  parlor,  closing  the  doors,  so  that  nobody 
might  interrupt  them.  She  seemed  somewhat 
embarrassed. 

"  Fred  told  me  that  you  would  like  to  see  me," 
commenced  Nat's  uncle. 

'''  Yes,  Abner,  I  do;  but  I'm  afraid  you'll  think 
it  strange  of  me — at  least  of  what  I  have  to  say 
to  you." 

"Oh,  that's  all  right,  Lucy;  you  know  you 
kin  trust  me,"  he  replied. 

"  Suppose," — the  widow  cast  down  her  eyes, — 
"  mind,  I  am  only  supposing  a  case — suppose  a 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          m 

person  should  find  a  pot  full  of  gold  pieces  in  an 
old  well,  would  the  law  have  a  right  to  touch  it, 
or  would  it  belong  to  the  finder  ?  " 

At  the  mention  of  a  pot  of  gold,  Abner  Bal- 
berry  became  exceedingly  interested.  As  we 
know,  he  was  very  miserly,  and  he  realized  that  a 
pot  of  gold  would  be  worth  a  good  deal  of  money. 

"  A  pot  of  gold,  Lucy,"  he  said.  "  Why,  un- 
questionably, the  law  would  have  nothing  to  do 
with  it." 

"  Could  the  one  who  had  owned  the  house  years 
before,  or  lived  in  the  place,  come  forward  and 
claim  it?" 

"No,  Lucy;  I  think  not." 

"  Thank  you,  very  much,  Abner,  for  your  ad- 
vice. The — er — question  just  came  into  my — er 
— mind,  and  I  wanted  to  satisfy  myself ;  that's  all." 

"  Certainly,  widow,  certainly,"  answered  Nat's 
uncle.  He  wanted  to  ask  some  questions,  but 
did  not  dare. 

"  Now  you  are  here,  you  must  take  supper 
with  me,"  went  on  the  Widow  Guff. 

"  Thank  you,  Lucy,  you  are  very  kind " 

"  I  know  you  haven't  any  housekeeper  any 
more,  and  nobody  to  cook  for  you.  Yes,  stay  by 
all  means." 

The  widow  was  a  fairly  good  cook,  and  Nat's 
uncle  ate  with  a  relish  all  that  was  offered  to 


122         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

him,  ending  with  a  piece  of  berry  pie  which  was 
particularly  fine.  He  spent  a  social  hour  after 
the  meal,  and  then  drove  home  in  a  thoughtful 
mood. 

"  Is  it  possible  that  the  widow  really  found  a 
pot  of  gold  in  the  well?"  he  thought.  "She 
didn't  really  say  so,  but  it  was  mighty  odd  for 
her  to  ask  me  such  questions.  I'll  have  to  look 
into  this  a  bit."  And  then  he  got  to  thinking 
that  the  widow  was  not  such  a  bad-looking  woman 
after  all,  and  a  wife  with  a  pot  of  gold  would  be 
a  very  nice  thing  to  possess. 

About  a  week  later  Abner  Balberry  had  oc- 
casion to  go  to  town,  to  draw  a  little  money  from 
the  bank,  with  which  to  pay  for  a  cow  he  had 
purchased.  He  was  passing  the  widow's  home 
when  she  came  out  on  the  piazza  and  nodded  to 
him. 

"  Good-morning/'  she  said. 

"  Good-morning,"  he  returned,  and  stopped  for 
a  chat.  During  the  course  of  the  conversation  he 
mentioned  his  errand,  and  she  said  she  was  going 
to  the  bank  too.  He  asked  her  to  ride  to  the  in- 
stitution, and  she  accepted  the  invitation.  When 
they  arrived  ihere  he  told  her  he  would  wait  until 
she  was  through.  Then  he  went  around  to  a  side 
window  of  the  bank,  where  he  might  hear  what 
took  place. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          123 

The  widow  tripped  up  to  the  window. 

"  Can  you  give  me  change  for  a  ten-dollar  gold 
piece?  "  she  asked. 

"  With  pleasure,  Mrs.  Guff,"  was  the  answer, 
and  the  change  for  the  gold  piece  was  immediately 
forthcoming. 

"  By  the  way/'  went  on  the  widow,  "  the 
bank  is  in  quite  a  flourishing  condition,  is  it 
not?" 

"  We  are  doing  finely,  yes." 

"  And  you  receive  deposits,  do  you  not  ?  " 

"  Of  course." 

"  Do  you  receive  as  high  as — as  five  thousand 
dollars?" 

"  No,"  answered  the  cashier,  in  some  surprise. 
"  Three  thousand  dollars  from  one  depositor  is 
our  limit.  Do  you  know  of  anybody  who " 

"  It's  of  no  consequence,"  interrupted  the 
widow,  hurriedly.  "  I  only  asked  out  of  curiosity. 
How  much  interest  do  you  pay?  " 

"  Four  per  cent,  on  the  first  thousand  and  three 
per  cent,  on  the  remainder." 

"  Thank  you,  and  much  obliged  for  the  change. 
Good-mortiing,"  and  the  Widow  Guff  tripped 
out  lightly  and  hurried  up  the  street. 

Abner  Balberry  had  overheard  every  word  and 
his  face  was  a  study  as  he  went  into  the  bank 
to  draw  what  he  wanted,  thirty  dollars. 


i24         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Jest  had  the  Widow  Guff  here,  didn't  you?  " 
he  said,  lightly. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Balberry."  The  cashier  paused. 
"  Do  you  know  if  anybody  has  left  her  money 
lately  ?  "  he  continued. 

"  Not  that  I  know  on?    Why?  " 

"  Oh,  she  was  asking  what  rate  of  interest  we 
paid,  and  if  we  took  as  high  as  five  thousand  dol- 
lars." 

.  "  I  see.  Well,  I  don't  know  nothin'  about  it," 
and  Abner  Balberry  pocketed  his  money  and  his 
bank  book,  and  walked  out  after  the  widow. 

If  he  had  been  in  deep  thought  before  he  was 
more  so  now.  Was  it  possible  that  the  widow 
had  found  five  thousand  dollars  ?  " 

"  She  changed  a  ten-dollar  piece."  he  reasoned. 
"  I  reckon  I  kin  see  through  a  millstone  when 
there's  a  hole  through  it.  Tell  ye  what,  a  widder 
with  five  thousand  in  gold  ain't  to  be  sneezed  at ! 
I  wonder  if  anybody  else  knows  o'  this?  Hope 
they  don't !  " 

That  evening  the  farmer  sat  up  till  late,  think- 
ing the  situation  over.  He  did  not  wish  for  a  wife 
so  much,  but  he  did  wish  to  get  his  hands  on  that 
pot  of  gold. 

"  If  I  want  her  I'll  have  to  propose  before  some 
other  feller  hears  o'  this,"  he  told  himself. 

The  farmer  made  it  his  business  to  go  to  town 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          125 

two  days  later,  and  drove  past  the  widow's  house 
very  slowly.  She  saw  him  from  a  window,  and 
nodded  and  smiled. 

This  was  encouraging,  and  on  returning  from 
his  errand,  he  tied  up  in  front  of  the  place,  and 
rang  the  bell. 

"  Oh,  Abner,  I  am  delighted  to  see  you !  "  said 
the  widow,  on  coming  to  the  door.  "  Come  in." 

"  Thank  you,  Lucy,"  he  answered,  and  entered 
the  parlor. 

"  It  was  so  good  of  you  to  come,"  she  simpered. 
"  I  wanted  somebody  to  talk  to." 

"  Anything  special,"  he  asked,  curiously. 

"  I  have  received  notice  to  leave  this  house.  I 
guess  Mr.  Haskell,  the  owner,  wishes  it  for 
himself."  She  did  not  add  that  her  rent  was 
about  due,  and  she  did  not  know  how  to  meet  the 
payment. 

"  Where  do  you  think  of  going,  widow  ?  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,  Abner.  I  haven't  a 
single  place.  You  know  I'm  all  alone  in  the 
world." 

She  looked  at  him  fondly,  and  he  at  once  fell 
into  the  trap. 

"  Better  come  an'  live  with  me,  Lucy." 

"  Oh,  Abner !     What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  mean  that  I  think  a  heap  o'  you,  Lucy,  an' 
I'd  like  you  fer  my  wife.  I  know  as  how  we 


126         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

could  git  along  fine  together,"  answered  Nat's 
uncle,  earnestly.  Just  then  that  pot  of  gold 
seemed  almost  within  his  reach. 

The  widow  blushed,  and  pretended  to  be  greatly 
surprised. 

"  I — I  never  dreamted  of  this,  Abner !  "  she 
whispered.  "  It's — it's  so  sudden." 

"  But  you  ain't  goin'  to  say  no,  are  you?  " 

f'Well,    I— I "     She  blushed   again.     "I 

must  say  I  like  you  a  great  deal,  Abner." 
'  Then  say  'yes-" 

"  Well,  I  will,"  declared  the  widow,  and  then 
she  allowed  him  to  kiss  her.  Abner  felt  very 
happy,  and  asked  her  to  set  the  day  at  once. 

f<  Bein'  as  you're  to  git  out  o'  this  house,  you 
might  as  well  give  up  the  boarders,  an'  come  to  my 
house  at  once,"  he  said. 

The  widow  consented,  and  said  she  would 
marry  him  in  ten  days.  He  drove  home  almost 
in  a  dream,  and  at  once  had  the  house  put  in 
order,  and  actually  bought  himself  a  new  suit  of 
clothes  and  a  new  hat. 

"It's  a  good  bit  o'  money  to  spend,"  he 
reasoned.  "  But  I've  got  to  do  the  proper  thing, 
or  she  won't  feel  like  lettin'  go  o'  that  gold." 

When  the  time  came,  they  were  married  in  the 
local  church,  and  then  he  drove  her  home.  Her 
furniture  had  already  arrived.  She  at  once  took 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          127 

possession  of  the  place,  and  began  to  set  things  to 
rights. 

"  I  won't  ask  her  about  that  pot  o'  gold  jest 
yet,"  mused  Abner.  "I'll  have  to  wait  a  few 
days  at  least." 


CHAPTER  XVI 

ABNER   VISITS   NEW   YORK 

SEVERAL  days  passed,  and  Nat's  uncle  did  all 
in  his  power  to  please  his  new  wife.  He  found 
her  very  tart  at  times,  and  inclined  to  have  her 
own  way,  but  she  was  a  good  cook  and  general 
housekeeper,  and  that  counted  for  a  great  deal. 

"  It  won't  do  to  cross  her,"  he  told  himself. 
"  I've  got  to  find  out  about  thet  gold  first." 

At  last  he  could  stand  the  suspense  no  longer 
and  so,  one  day,  while  at  the  dinner  table,  he  told 
the  story  of  a  rich  find  of  money  by  a  lady  in 
Philadelphia. 

"  It  was  in  the  weekly  paper,"  said  he,  "  and  by 
the  way,"  he  went  on,  "  what  about  the  pot  of 
gold  you  found  ?  " 

"The  pot  of  gold  I  found?"  she  repeated, 
blankly. 

"  Yes,  the  one  you  found  in  the  well.  What  did 
you  do  with  it  ?  " 

"  Why,  I  never  found  any  pot  of  gold  in  a  well, 
SAJbner !  What  put  that  in  your  head  ?  " 

128 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          129 

He  shoved  back  his  chair  in  horror,  and  gazed 
at  her  blankly. 

"  Didn't  you  tell  me  you  had  found  a  pot  of 
gold  in  a  well,  Lucy?  "  he  demanded. 

"Never!" 

"  Certainly,  you  did.  You  asked  me  if  you 
could  keep  it  or  if  the  law  could  take  it  from  you. 
I  told  you  the  law  couldn't  touch  it." 

"  Oh,  I  remember  now ! "  she  answered,  sweetly. 
"  I  read  about  such  a  find  in  a  story  magazine,  and 
I  was  wondering  if  the  finder  could  keep  it,  or 
if  it  would  have  to  be  turned  over  to  the  person 
who  owned  the  property  on  which  the  well  was 
located.  But  I  certainly  never  said  anything 
about  my  finding  a  pot  of  gold." 

"  Well,  I'll  be  jiggered!  Didn't  you  go  to  the 
bank  an'  ask  'em  if  they  would  take  five  thousand 
dollars?" 

"  Oh,  I  was  only  curious  to  know  how  much 
they  would  take,  that  was  all,  Abner."  And  she 
smiled  again. 

Abner  could  not  endure  that  smile,  and  pushing 
back  his  chair  still  further,  he  arose  and  left  the 
house.  Once  in  the  barn  he  shook  his  fist  viciously 
at  an  imaginary  enemy. 

"  Of  all  the  fools !  "  he  muttered.  "  I've  been 
tuk  in  clean  an'  clear!  She  ain't  got  no  pot  o* 
gold,  an'  never  did  have!  If  this  ain't  jest  the 


130         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

worst  yet.  Abner  Balberry,  you  ought  to  be 
kicked  full  o'  holes,  and  ducked  in  the  pond  be- 
sides ! " 

He  felt  in  no  mental  condition  to  go  back  to  the 
house,  and  so  did  not  return  until  it  was  time  for 
supper.  He  found  a  good  meal  awaiting  him,  and 
his  wife  on  hand  as  pert  as  ever. 

"What  made  you  run  off?"  she  demanded. 
"  It  wasn't  a  nice  way  to  do." 

"You  fooled  me  about  thet  pot  o'  gold,"  he 
answered,  bluntly. 

"  I  never  did,  and  I  want  you  to  stop  talking 
about  it,  Abner  Balberry." 

This  was  said  so  sharply  it  fairly  made  him 
jump. 

"Eh?" 

"  Did  you  marry  me  simply  for  my  money  ?  " 
she  demanded,  coming  up  to  him  with  her  hands 
on  her  hips. 

"  N — no !  "  he  stammered. 

"  Well,  then,  stop  talking  about  a  pot  o'  gold. 
I  haven't  any,  and  neither  have  you." 

"  Ain't  you  got  no  money  o'  your  own,  Lucy  ?  " 

"  If  I  have  I'm  going  to  keep  it  to  myself,"  she 
answered.  "  Come  to  supper." 

He  sat  down  and  ate  in  silence.  The  next  day 
he  wanted  to  speak  about  money  again,  but  she 
cut  him  short. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          131 

"  I  don't  want  to  hear  about  it,"  she  said,  tartly. 
"  I'm  your  wife,  and  I  am  going  to  do  my  share, 
keeping  house  and  helping  around.  And  you 
have  got  to  do  your  share,  and  treat  me  fairly. 
I  once  heard  that  the  first  Mrs.  Balberry  didn't 
get  all  that  was  coming  to  her — that  she  had  to 
wear  the  same  dress  and  bonnet  for  years.  Now, 
I  want  to  say,  right  now,  that  isn't  my  style. 
When  I  want  a  new  dress  I  want  it,  and  you  are 
going  to  give  it  to  me." 

"Am  I?"  he  said,  slowly. 

"  Yes,  you  are,  Abner  Balberry,  and  if  I  want 
spending  money  you  have  got  to  give  me  that,  too. 
If  you  don't,  I'll  quit  work  and  won't  do  a  blessed 
thing  around  the  house.  So  there !  " 

She  spoke  with  such  vigor  that  it  made  him 
groan.  He  felt  it  in  his  bones  that  she  meant  to 
have  her  way. 

"  I  am  a-goin'  to  do  my  duty,"  he  said,  humbly. 

"You'd  better.  If  you  don't—  -"  and  she 
ended  with  a  shake  of  her  head  that  meant  a  great 
deal. 

"  She's  bound  to  have  her  way,"  he  told  him- 
self later.  "  I've  got  to  git  used  to  it,  I  suppose. 
Drat  the  luck,  anyway.  I  wish  I  had  never  heard 
o'  thet  pot  o'  gold !  " 

In  a  roundabout  fashion  Abner  Balberry  had 
heard  that  Nat  had  gone  to  Buffalo,  and  then  he 


13*         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

learned  through  a  man  who  had  been  to  New 
York  that  his  nephew  was  in  the  metropolis.  Ab- 
ner  had  often  longed  to  visit  New  York,  and  here 
he  saw  his  opportunity  to  do  so. 

"  I'm  a-goin'  to  New  York,"  he  announced  one 
day,  shortly  after  the  pot  of  gold  incident. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  there?  "  asked  his 
wife. 

"  I'm  a-goin'  to  look  fer  Nat.  I've  heard  he's 
down  there,  an'  I  want  to  save  him  from  goin'  to 
destruction." 

"  Better  leave  him  where  he  is,"  said  the  new 
wife,  who  did  not  fancy  another  of  her  husband's 
people  around  the  farm. 

"  No,  I'm  a-goin'  to  hunt  him  up.  I  feel  it's 
my  duty  to  do  it." 

"  Then,  if  you  go  to  New  York,  you  have  got 
to  take  me  along,  Abner." 

"  Take  you  along,  Lucy?  " 

"  Yes.  I've  always  wanted  to  go  to  New  York. 
Fred  can  take  care  of  -the  farm  while  we  are 
gone."  Fred  and  the  other  Guff  children  had  been 
installed  on  the  place,  but  none  of  them  had 
proved  of  much  assistance.  Fred,  himself,  was 
decidedly  lazy — not  half  as  willing  as  Nat,  so  Ab- 
ner himself  admitted. 

"  I  don't  see  how  I  can  take  you,  Lucy.  It 
costs  a  heap  to  go  to  New  York." 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          133 

"  Well,  if  you  can  spend  the  money  on  your- 
self, you  can  spend  it  on  me,  too,"  she  answered, 
calmly. 

"  But  it's  my  duty  to  go — to  save  Nat  from 
goin'  to  the  dogs." 

"  You  didn't  bother  about  Nat  when  you  were 
courting  me." 

"  I  didn't  know  where  he  was,  exactly." 

"  Pooh !  Well,  if  you  go  you  must  take  me. 
If  you  don't,  you  won't  find  me  or  the  things 
when  you  get  back." 

This  rather  alarmed  the  miserly  farmer,  and 
he  was  half  afraid  she  might  sell  off  all  his  be- 
longings, and  clear  out. 

"  All  right,  you  shall  go,"  he  said,  at  last.  "  But 
it's  goin'  to  cost  a  terrible  sight  o'  money,"  he 
added,  with  a  long  sigh. 

It  was  decided  that  they  should  start  for  New 
York  on  the  following  Monday  morning.  Mrs. 
Balberry  had  relatives  at  Rochester,  and  they 
made  arrangements  to  stop  over  at  that  point  for 
one  night,  for  neither  the  farmer  or  his  spouse 
wished  to  take  a  berth  in  a  sleeping  car. 

"  It's  money  thrown  away,"  said  Abner,  "  an', 
besides,  who  kin  sleep  with  a  car  runnin'  fifty 
miles  an  hour?  If  there  was  an  accident  a  feller 
would  be  killed  before  he  woke  up !  " 

Mrs.  Balberry's  son,  Fred,  grumbled  greatly 


134         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

at  having  to  run  the  farm  during-  their  absence, 
and  the  mother  had  to  promise  the  lad  fifty  cents 
a  day  for  the  extra  work. 

"  It's  an  outrage,"  declared  Abner,  when  he 
heard  of  this.  "  He  ain't  worth  his  keep !  " 

"  He  is  my  son,  and  you  have  no  right  to  abuse 
him !  "  declared  the  new  wife,  and  then  the  farmer 
found  it  best  to  say  no  more.  He  was  discover- 
ing that  his  wife  had  a  sharp  tongue,  and  could 
Use  it  on  the  slightest  provocation. 

Not  to  go  to  the  expense  of  buying  meals  on  the 
train,  they  provided  themselves  with  a  basket  full 
of  food,  and  set  off  bright  and  early  at  the  time 
appointed.  The  run  to  Rochester  was  without 
incident,  and  Mrs.  Balberry's  relatives  there 
treated  them  kindly.  Then,  on  Tuesday,  they 
took  another  train  for  New  York,  and  late  in  the 
afternoon  found  themselves  at  the  Grand  Central 
Depot. 

"  It's  a  fearfully  crowded  place/'  was  Abner 
Balberry's  comment,  as  he  gazed  around. 

"  Which  way  are  we  to  go,  Abner?  "  asked  his 
wife,  and  now  she  clung  to  him,  for  the  bustle 
and  noise  frightened  her. 

"  Let's  git  out  on  the  street,  where  I  kin  have 
a  look  around,"  he  answered,  and  pulled  her  along 
through  the  crowd.  A  boy  wanted  to  take  his  car- 
pet bag,  but  he  shook  the  urchin  off. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          135 

Fortunately,  while  at  Rochester,  the  farmer  had 
heard  of  a  hotel  which  I  shall  call  the  Callac 
House,  located  but  a  few  blocks  from  the  station. 
A  policeman  directed  the  pair  to  this  place,  and 
here  Abner  Balberry  succeeded  in  getting  a  room 
for  a  dollar  and  a  half  a  night. 

"  Steep,  ain't  it  ?  "  he  remarked,  when  he  and 
his  wife  had  been  taken  to  the  room,  on  the 
seventh  floor. 

"  Steep  ?  I  should  say  it  was,  Abner — the 
seventh  story!  It's  dreadful!  I  know  I  shan't 
sleep — thinking  of  what  to  do  in  case  of  a  fire !  " 

"  I  meant  the  price.  I  don't  care  how  high  up 
it  is." 

"  Will  they  give  us  meals  for  that,  too?  " 

"  No,  the  meals  is  extry." 

"  It's  'most  a  waste  of  money,  I  must  say." 

"  Well,  I  had  to  pay  it,  an'  so  there  ain't  no 
use  to  talk  about  it.  Let's  go  to  bed,  an'  git  our 
money's  worth,  an'  in  the  mornin'  I'll  look  fer 
Nat" 


CHAPTER  XVII 

A  CASE  OF  MISTAKEN  IDENTITY 

ON  the  day  that  Abner  Balberry  started  for 
New  York  to  look  for  Nat,  our  hero  was  called 
into  Mr.  GarwelFs  private  office. 

"  Nat,  how  would  you  like  to  take  a  run  down 
to  Trenton  with  me?  "  asked  the  gentleman,  pleas- 
antly. 

"  I'd  like  it  first-rate,  Mr.  Garwell,"  was  the 
prompt  answer. 

"  Very  well,  we'll  go  in  half  an  hour.  I  wish  to 
look  up  certain  records  concerning  some  property. " 

"  When  will  we  be  back,  Mr.  Garwell?  " 

"  Oh,  some  time  this  evening,"  answered  the 
gentleman. 

It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  John  Garwell 
was  a  real  estate  broker.  He  handled  only  high- 
class  properties,  and  chiefly  those  used  for  business 
purposes.  He  had  started  years  before  in  a 
modest  way,  but  was  now  fairly  well-to-do,  and 
his  business  was  steadily  increasing.  He  had 
taken  a  great  fancy  to  Nat,  and  was  wondering 
if  he  could  not  use  the  lad  as  a  private  secretary. 
136 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          137 

"  I'd  do  it  in  a  minute  if  the  boy  knew  short- 
hand and  typewriting,"  he  told  himself.  "  Per- 
haps I  can  get  him  to  learn  those  branches." 

At  the  appointed  time  our  hero  was  ready  for 
the  trip  to  Trenton.  His  employer  had  stuffed 
a  valise  full  of  legal  papers,  and  Nat  took  posses- 
sion of  the  bag. 

"  Be  careful  of  that  valise,"  cautioned  Mr.  Gar- 
well.  "  The  contents  are  very  valuable." 

"  I'll  look  out  for  it,"  was  the  answer. 

They  walked  to  the  ferry,  and  there  took  a  boat 
to  Jersey  City,  and  then  boarded  a  train  bound  for 
the  capital  city  of  New  Jersey.  Mr.  Garwell  had 
obtained  seats  in  a  parlor  car,  and  the  elegant  fur- 
nishings impressed  Nat  deeply. 

"  These  cars  are  like  palaces,"  he  said. 

"  They  are  certainly  comfortable,"  was  his  em- 
ployer's response. 

On  the  trip  to  Trenton  Mr.  Garwell  asked  Nat 
much  about  himself,  and  at  last  the  boy  told  his 
tale  from  beginning  to  end. 

"  I  don't  suppose  you  care  to  go  back  to  the 
farm,"  said  Mr.  Garwell,  with  a  quiet  smile. 

"  No,  sir,  I  want  to  stay  in  New  York.  I 
believe  there  is  more  of  a  future  here  for  me  than 
on  the  farm." 

"  Possibly  that  is  true.  You  had  positively 
nothing  to  do  with  that  fire  at  your  uncle's  barn  ?  " 


138         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  No,  sir — I  didn't  even  have  a  light  around 
the  place." 

"  But  you  saw  somebody  near  by." 

''  Yes,  sir.    I  thought  it  was  my  uncle." 

"  It  must  have  been  a  tramp." 

"Just  what  I  think,  Mr.  Garwell." 

"  And  you  think  your  uncle  is  coming  to  New- 
York  to  look  for  you  ?  " 

"  He'll  come,  if  the  carfare  doesn't  scare  him 
off.  He  is  a  very  close  man." 

"  Hum !  "  The  real  estate  broker  mused  for  a 
moment.  "  Well,  if  he  comes,  supposing  you  let 
me  know?  Maybe  I  can  persuade  him  to  allow 
you  to  remain  in  the  city." 

At  this  Nat's  face  brightened. 

"Oh,  Mr.  Garwell,  will  you  do  that?  I  sup- 
pose, as  my  guardian,  he  has  a  legal  right  to 
order  me  back  to  the  farm." 

"  We'll  have  to  see  about  that.  But  he  hasn't 
found  you  yet." 

"  That  is  true." 

"  You  ought  to  let  him  know  that  you  are  well, 
and  have  a  position.  You  need  not  give  him  your 
address." 

"  I'll  write  the  letter  to-morrow." 

"  Was  your  father  a  farmer?  " 

:<  Yes,  sir,  although  when  he  was  a  young  fel- 
low like  myself  he  lived  in  Brooklyn.  His  father 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          139 

and  his  grandfather  were  both  born  in  New 
York." 

"  I  see.  Then  you  have  city  blood  in  your 
veins.  That  may  account  for  your  liking  New 
York  so  much." 

In  a  short  time  after  the  conversation  came  to 
an  end,  Trenton  was  reached,  and  calling  a  cab, 
Mr.  Garwell  had  himself  and  Nat  driven  to  one  of 
the  public  buildings. 

Here  both  spent  some  time  in  looking  over 
legal  records,  and  one  of  the  records  Nat  had  to 
copy  off  in  pencil  for  his  employer.  After  this, 
came  a  visit  to  a  lawyer's  office,  and  Nat  was  sent 
on  a  short  errand. 

When  the  business  in  Trenton  was  over,  both 
found  they  had  two  hours  to  wait  before  they 
could  get  a  train  for  home. 

"  Let  us  go  and  get  a  lunch,"  said  Mr.  Gar- 
well,  and  led  the  way  to  a  fine  restaurant  in  that 
vicinity. 

The  real  estate  broker  was  on  the  point  of  en- 
tering the  eating  place  when  a  child  of  five  ran  up 
to  him,  exclaiming : 

"  Papa,  I  want  you  to  buy  me  some  candy, 
please." 

Now,  as  it  happened,  Mr.  Garwell  was  a  bache- 
lor, so  he  was  taken  much  by  surprise,  and  so  was 
our  hero. 


1 40         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Did  you  speak  to  me,  my  dear  ?  "  he  asked, 
kindly. 

"  Why,  yes,  papa,"  answered  the  little  one, 
readily. 

"  But  I  am  not  your  father,  child,"  and  the  real 
estate  broker  began  to  flush  up. 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  are !  "  came  from  the  child. 

"  No.    What  is  your  name?  " 

At  this  the  child  laughed  heartily. 

"  What  a  funny  papa  you  are,  to  ask  me  my 
name.  But  won't  you  buy  me  the  candy  ?  Please, 
do,"  went  on  the  little  one,  pleadingly. 

"  What  a  funny  mistake,"  said  Mr.  Garwell  to 
Nat. 

"  Don't  you  know  the  little  girl  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  least." 

"  Get  the  candy!  "  cried  the  child,  petulantly. 

"  All  right,  I'll  get  you  some  candy,  only  don't 
call  me  papa,"  answered  the  real  estate  broker. 
And  he  slipped  into  a  candy  shop,  and  purchased 
some  chocolates.  He  had  just  passed  the  confec- 
tionery over,  when  a  middle-aged  lady  hurried 
up. 

"  Oh,  mamma,  see  the  candy  papa  bought  me !  " 
cried  the  little  girl,  gleefully. 

"  You  shouldn't  have  bought  her  so  much 
candy,  Horace,"  said  the  lady  to  Mr.  Garwell, 
severely.  "  Chocolates  make  Lulu  sick." 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          141 

Being  thus  addressed,  John  Garwell  turned  red- 
der than  ever. 

"  Excuse  me,  madam,"  he  stammered.  "  I — 
er — this  is  a  mistake.  My  name  is  not  Horace." 

"Not  Horace.    The  idea!" 

"  My  name  is  John — John  Garwell,  and  I  am 
from  New  York." 

At  this  answer  the  lady  looked  perplexed,  and 
then  indignant. 

"  Horace,  quit  your  fooling !  "  she  said,  coldly. 

"  I  am  not  fooling,  madam." 

"  Oh,  such  a  man !  Perhaps  you'll  say  next 
that  I  am  not  your  wife !  "  continued  the  lady, 
with  a  black  look. 

'  You  certainly  are  not  my  wife,  for  I  am  a 
bachelor,  madam,"  and  now  Mr.  Garwell  began  to 
grow  more  embarrassed  than  ever,  while  Nat  was 
completely  mystified. 

"  Not  my  husband  ?  Oh,  you  wretch,  to  say 
such  a  thing!"  The  lady  turned  to  the  child. 
"Lulu,  who  is  this?" 

"  Why,  that's  papa,"  answered  the  little  girl, 
promptly. 

"  Now,  Horace,  do  you  hear  that  ?  " 

"  I — I  heard  what  she  said,"  answered  the  real 
estate  broker,  feebly.  "  But — but " 

"  If  you  are  not  her  father,  why  did  you  buy 
her  candy  ?  " 


143         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Just  to  keep  her  from  calling-  me  papa." 

"  Indeed !  Did  you  want  to  bribe  her  ?  Oh, 
Horace,  this  is  infamous!  I — I — have  you  lost 
your  mind  ?  " 

"  No,  but  I  think  you  and  this  child  have." 

At  this  the  lady  stared,  and  gave  a  gasp.  She 
fainted,  and  would  have  fallen  to  the  pavement 
had  not  Nat  caught  and  supported  her.  In- 
stantly a  crowd  began  to  collect. 

"  What's  the  trouble  here?  "  asked  one. 

"  The  gentleman's  wife  has  fainted,"  answered 
another. 

"  Excuse  me,  but  she  is  not  my  wife,"  said  John 
Garwell.  "  I  don't  know  her." 

"  Certainly,  she  is  your  wife,"  cried  a  bystander. 
"  I've  seen  you  together  lots  of  times,  Mr. 
Mann." 

"  Wait,"  put  in  Nat.  "  Did  you  call  this  gentle- 
man Mr.  Mann  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  that's  his  name." 

''  You  are  mistaken.  This  gentleman  is  Mr. 
John  Garwell." 

"  Go  on  with  you,  I  know  Mr.  Mann  too  well 
to  believe  such  a  yarn." 

"  I  don't  care  what  you  say,  this  gentleman  is 
Mr.  John  Garwell,  and  he  is  from  New  York 
City." 

"  Then  he  has  been  playing  a  part  here  in 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          143 

Trenton,  where  he  is  known  as  Horace  Q.  Mann," 
said  the  bystander. 

By  this  time  the  lady  was  coming  to  her  senses. 
She  clutched  at  the  real  estate  broker. 

"  Take  me  home!  "  she  murmured.  "  Oh,  this 
is  too  much !  " 

"  Better  take  her  home/'  said  several. 

"  I  don't  even  know  where  she  lives,"  answered 
John  Garwell,  blankly. 

"She  lives  at  19  Hallock  Street,"  said  a 
boy  in  the  crowd.  "  I'll  show  you  the  place, 
mister." 

"  Why  not  take  her  and  the  little  girl  home?  " 
suggested  Nat.  "  Perhaps  you  can  clear  up  this 
mystery  there  ?  " 

"  All  right,  I  will,"  answered  his  employer. 
"  Nat,  call  a  coach.  I'm  going  to  see  this  affair 
through.  It's  the  oddest  thing  I  ever  had  happen 
to  me." 

The  coach  was  called,  and  the  lady  and  the 
girl  got  in,  and  John  Garwell  and  Nat  followed. 

"  I  knew  you  were  coming  home  to-day  from 
that  trip  to  Washington,"  said  the  lady,  with  a 
tearful  look  in  her  face,  "  but  I  never  dreamed 
you  would  act  this  way,  Horace." 

"  Madam,  will  you  answer  me  one  question. 
Have  you  a  husband  who  went  to  Washington  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Horace !  " 


144          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

Seeing  he  could  make  no  headway,  Mr.  Garwell 
became  silent.  Inside  of  ten  minutes  they  reached 
19  Hallock  Street,  and  the  coach  came  to  a  halt. 
A  servant  let  them  into  the  mansion.  As  she 
did  this  she  stared  at  the  real  estate  broker  and 
gave  a  low  cry  of  surprise. 

"  Why,  I — er — I  thought  Mr.  Mann  was  in  the 
library !  "  she  stammered.  "  I  didn't  know  he 
went  out  to  meet  you,  Mrs.  Mann." 

"  Let  us  go  to  the  library,"  said  John  Garwell. 

The  lady  of  the  house  was  willing,  and  hurried 
hither,  followed  by  her  daughter,  the  real  estate 
broker,  and  Nat.  As  they  entered,  a  gentleman 
who  had  been  seated  in  an  arm-chair,  reading  a 
book,  arose  to  meet  them. 

"  Well,  Clara,  I'm  back,"  he  said,  cheerily. 

"  Oh ! "  screamed  the  lady,  and  fainted  again, 
and  not  without  good  reason,  for  before  her  stood 
a  gentleman  who  was  almost  the  exact  facsimile  of 
Mr.  Garwell  in  face,  form,  and  general  appear- 
ance. 

"  Why,  which  one  of  you  is  my  papa?  "  cried 
little  Lulu. 

"  I'm  your  papa ! "  answered  the  gentleman  of 
the  house.  "  Why — er — who — who  is  this  ?  "  he 
stammered,  looking  at  John  Garwell. 

"  Let  us  attend  to  your  wife  first,"  was  the 
answer,  and  soon  the  lady  of  the  house  was  re- 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          145 

stored  to  her  senses.  Then  began  a  series  of  ex- 
planations. 

"  It  was  dreadful  of  me  to  make  such  a  mis- 
take," said  Mrs.  Mann,  hysterically.  "  But — • 
but " 

"  I  don't  wonder  at  it — now,"  answered  John 
Garwell.  ''  Your  husband  could  pass  for  my  twin 
brother." 

"  I  can  hardly  tell  one  from  the  other,  myself," 
said  Nat. 

"  Never  mind ;  he  bought  me  some  candy."  put 
in  little  Lulu,  and  this  made  all  laugh. 

"  I  am  going  to  ask  you  to  do  something,"  said 
John  Garwell,  to  Horace  Mann.  "  I  think  you 
owe  it  to  me  to  walk  down  town,  so  that  your 
fellow  citizens  can  see  that  there  are  really  two 
of  us." 

"  Yes,  Horace,"  pleaded  his  wife.  "  I  made  a 
lot  of  trouble  for  Mr.  Garwell." 

Horace  Mann  agreed  readily,  and  soon  he  and 
the  real  estate  broker  and  Nat  left  the  residence. 
On  the  main  streets  of  Trenton  many  stopped  to 
stare  after  them.  Among  the  number  was  the 
man  who  had  spoken  to  Mr.  Garwell,  and  insisted 
that  the  real  estate  broker  was  Mr.  Mann. 

"  I  apologize,"  said  the  man,  promptly.  "  But 
I  reckon  you'll  admit  the  resemblance  is  simply 
wonderful." 


i46         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  I  do  admit  it,"  was  the  answer.  "  Still,  that 
doesn't  make  me  anybody  but  myself." 

Horace  Mann  insisted  upon  taking  John  Gar- 
well  and  Nat  to  dinner,  and  treated  them  to  the 
best  the  restaurant  afforded. 

"  After  this  I'm  going  to  wear  a  badge,  so  my 
wife  will  know  me,"  said  the  Trenton  man. 
"  And  I'll  never  dare  to  come  to  New  York,  for 
fear  of  being  taken  for  you." 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

NAT  MEETS  HIS  UNCLE 

"  NAT,  if  you  wish  to  do  me  a  favor,  do  not 
mention  this  affair  to  anybody  in  New  York," 
said  John  Garwell,  when  the  pair  were  on  the 
train,  bound  for  the  metropolis. 

"  I  won't  say  a  word,  sir/' 

"  There  was  nothing  wrong  about  it,  but  I  don't 
want  my  friends  to  make  a  laughing  stock  of 
me,"  added  the  bachelor. 

"  I  shall  never  mention  it  to  anybody,"  re- 
turned our  hero,  and  it  may  be  added  here  that  he 
never  did.  The  matter  was  also  hushed  up  in 
Trenton,  so  nothing  more  was  heard  of  it. 

Our  hero  was  kept  very  busy  for  a  day  or  two 
after  his  trip  into  New  Jersey.  Part  of  his  time 
was  spent  over  some  books,  and  the  balance  was 
used  up  in  running  errands,  and  delivering  im- 
portant papers  and  documents. 

Once  again  he  visited  police  headquarters,  to 
learn  if  anything  had  been  heard  of  Nick 
Smithers. 

"  We  have  learned  that  he  visited  Jersey  City 
147 


148         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

not  long  ago/'  said  an  official.  "  But  before  we 
could  get  the  authorities  to  lay  their  hands  on 
him,  he  disappeared.  We  rather  think  he  is  in 
New  York  again,  and  if  so,  we  shall  do  all  we 
can  to  round  him  up." 

On  the  following  day  Nat  was  sent  on  an  er- 
rand up  to  Forty-second  Street.  He  had  to  de- 
liver some  real  estate  documents,  and  this  done,  he 
stopped  for  a  moment  to  look  at  the  Grand  Cen- 
tral Depot. 

"  Thank  fortune,  I  am  not  quite  so  green  as  I 
was  when  I  landed,"  he  mused. 

He  was  just  leaving  the  vicinity  of  the  station, 
when,  chancing  to  look  down  a  side  street,  he  saw 
a  sight  that  filled  him  with  astonishment. 

"  Uncle  Abner,  and  the  Widow  Guff !  "  he  mur- 
mured. "  What  are  they  doing,  talking  to  that 
seedy-looking  fellow  ?  " 

Our  hero  was  right.  There,  near  the  entrance 
to  a  big  building,  stood  Abner  Balberry  and  his 
bride,  and  a  sharp-eyed  but  shabbily  dressed 
stranger  wras  talking  to  them  very  earnestly. 

"  Uncle  Abner  must  have  married  the  widow," 
thought  Nat.  "  More  than  likely  they  are  on  their 
wedding  tour.  Wonder  what  that  other  fellow 
wants  of  uncle?  " 

Nat's  first  inclination  was  to  leave  the  spot,  so 
that  his  relative  might  not  discover  him.  But  he 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          149 

did  not  like  the  looks  of  the  stranger,  and  so  drew 
closer,  to  learn,  if  possible,  what  the  interview 
meant. 

The  man  had  just  come  past  Abner  and  his 
wife,  and  had  pretended  to  pick  up  a  pocketbook. 

"  Say,  did  you  drop  your  pocketbook  ?  "  he 
asked,  of  Abner. 

"  I — I  guess  not !  "  stammered  the  farmer,  and 
felt  to  make  certain  that  his  own  wallet  was  safe. 

"  Queer,  who  did  drop  this,"  went  on  the  stran- 
ger. "  Pretty  well  filled,  too,"  he  added,  opening 
the  pocketbook  and  looking  into  it. 

."  Did  you  jest  pick  it  up?  "  queried  Abner,  fall- 
ing into  the  trap. 

"  Sure,  right  down  there.  Say,  this  is  a  find, 
ain't  it?  "  and  the  man  smiled  broadly. 

"  That's  what  it  is,"  said  the  farmer. 

"  I  wish  I  could  find  a  pocketbook,"  sighed  Mrs. 
Balberry. 

"  I'd  like  to  return  this  to  the  owner,"  went  on 
the  stranger.  "  I  don't  want  to  keep  anybody's 
money." 

"  'Tain't  everybody  would  say  thet,"  was  Ab- 
ner's  comment.  He  wished  he  had  made  the 
find. 

"  I  suppose  not,  but  I  believe  in  being  honest." 
The  stranger  scratched  his  head.  "  Hang  me,  if 
I  know  what  to  do,"  he  continued. 


150          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"  I've  got  to  go  out  of  town  soon — train  leaves 
in  ten  minutes.  I  don't  want  to  take  this  with 
me.  It  don't  seem  just  right." 

"  I  see." 

"  Can't  you  find  the  owner — I'm  sure  he  would 
pay  us  a  reward." 

"  Me  find  the  owner  ?  "  stammered  the  farmer. 

"Yes.  You  might  advertise.  The  pocket- 
book  has  got  at  least  a  hundred  dollars  in  it.  The 
owner  ought  to  give  you  twenty-five  for  return- 
ing it." 

"  Maybe  he  would." 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,"  said  the  stranger, 
earnestly.  "  You  take  the  pocketbook,  and  give 
me  ten  dollars.  If  you  can  find  the  owner,  you 
can  claim  twenty-five  dollars  reward." 

"  An'  supposin'  I  can't  find  the  owner  ?  " 

"  Then  you  can  keep  the  pocketbook." 

The  temptation  was  strong,  and  Abner  looked 
at  his  newly-made  wife. 

"  Might  as  well  take  it,  Abner,"  she  said, 
promptly.  "  I  guess  we  can  find  the  owner  quick 
enough,"  and  she  pinched  his  arm  suggestively. 

The  farmer  drew  forth  his  wallet,  and  began  to 
count  out  ten  dollars.  At  the  same  time  the 
stranger  gazed  again  into  the  other  wallet. 

"  Must  be  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  in 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          151 

this,"  he  said.  "  I'll  trust  you  to  do  the  square 
thing  by  the  owner/' 

"  Oh,  you  kin  trust  me,"  said  Abner,  quickly. 

He  was  about  to  pass  over  his  ten  dollars,  when 
he  felt  somebody  catch  him  by  the  arm,  and  turn- 
ing, he  beheld  Nat. 

"Nat!"  he  gasped. 

"  Not  so  fast,  Uncle  Abner !  "  cried  our  hero. 
"  You  had  better  keep  your  money." 

"Wh— what?" 

"  Put  your  money  away." 

"  See  here,  what  do  you  mean  by  interfering?  " 
said  the  stranger,  roughly. 

"  If  he  gives  up  the  pocketbook  take  the  ten  dol- 
lars out  of  that,"  went  on  Nat.  "  My  idea  is, 
there  isn't  a  dollar  in  the  pocketbook." 

"Nat!" 

"  That's  right,  uncle.  This  is  an  old  game.  I 
heard  all  about  it  only  a  few  days  ago." 

"  Oh,  you  go  to  grass !  "  cried  the  stranger, 
with  a  malicious  look  at  Nat,  and  then  he  hurried 
away  with  all  speed. 

"  Where  did  you  spring  from,  Nat?  " 

"  I  was  in  this  neighborhood  on  an  errand, 
Uncle  Abner.  How  do  you  do,  Mrs.  Guff." 

"  I'm  not  Mrs.  Guff  any  more,"  said  the  lady. 
"  I'm  Mrs.  Balberry,  your  new  aunt." 

"  Oh,  so  you're  married,  Uncle  Abner." 


i52          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

•  "  Yes,"  was  the  answer.  "  But  see  here,  Nat, 
I  don't  understand  about  thet  pocketbook,"  said 
the  farmer. 

"  It's  simple  enough.  As  I  said  before,  the 
game  is  an  old  one.  That  fellow  had  the  pocket- 
book  all  the  time.  It  was  stuffed  with  old  paper, 
with  a  dollar  bill  wrapped  on  the  outside.  He 
wanted  to  get  your  money,  and  if  he  had  gotten  it 
he  would  have  have  left  you  with  a  pocketbook 
worth  about  a  quarter,  with  nothing  but  old  paper 
and  a  dollar  bill  in  it,  and  maybe  he  would  have 
taken  the  dollar  bill  out,  too." 

"  Well,  I  never!  "  cried  Mrs.  Balbtrry.  "  Did 
you  ever  hear  of  such  a  swindle !  " 

"  They  play  all  sorts  of  games  in  a  big  city  like 
this.  You've  got  to  keep  your  eyes  open." 

"  I  know  it,"  groaned  Abner  Balberry.  "  Yes- 
terday, a  cabman  cheated  me  out  o'  fifty  cents,  an' 
a  boy  got  a  quarter  from  me  by  a  bogus  telegram. 
I  thought  something  had  happened  to  hum,  and 
when  I  opened  the  telegram  it  had  nuthin  but  a 
sheet  o'  blank  paper  inside!  " 

"  That  was  too  bad." 

There  was  an  awkward  pause.  Now  that  the 
farmer  had  found  Nat  he  hardly  knew  what  to 
say.  He  had  expected  to  upbraid  his  nephew  for 
running  away,  but  the  pocketbook  episode  rather 
flustered  him. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          153 

"  So  you  come  to  New  York,  didn't  you?  "  he 
said,  slowly. 

"  Yes." 

"  Are  you  working?  " 

"  Yes,  and  Fve  got  a  pretty  good  job,  too." 

"What  at?" 

"  I'm  in  an  office  downtown." 

"  How  much  do  you  git?  " 

"  What  do  you  think,  Uncle  Abner?  " 

"  About  two  or  three  dollars  a  week." 

"  I  get  seven  dollars  a  week." 

"  Seven  dollars  a  week — f er  a  boy !  " 

"  You  have  been  very  lucky,"  put  in  Mrs.  Bal- 
berry.  "  I  wish  Fred  could  strike  a  job  like  that." 

"  I'm  to  have  a  raise  later  on,"  added  Nat. 

"  It  wasn't  right  fer  you  to  run  away,  Nat," 
continued  his  uncle. 

"  There  are  two  ways  of  looking  at  it." 

"  An'  you  had  no  right  to  set  fire  to  the  barn." 

"  I  never  did  that,  Uncle  Abner.  I  wouldn't  be 
so  mean." 

"  And  you  sold  thet  cow." 

"  She  was  my  cow." 

"  No,  she  wasn't!  " 

"  I  say  she  was,  and  I  can  prove  it !  " 

"  Well,  we  won't  quarrel  about  the  cow.  What 
I  want  to  know  is,  are  you  behavin'  yourself 
here  in  the  city  ?  " 


154          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  I  am.  I  work  every  day,  and  I  board  with 
some  very  nice  people." 

"  Ain't  squanderin'  your  earnings  on  theaters 
an'sech?" 

"  No,  I  have  never  seen  the  inside  of  a  theater." 

"  Maybe  you  ain't  seen  the  inside  of  a  church 
either,"  came  from  Mrs.  Balberry. 

:( Yes,  I  go  to  church  every  Sunday." 
'  Then   you    don't   want   to   go   back   to   the 
farm  ?  "  came  from  Abner  Balberry. 

"  No,  I  am  never  going  back  there/' 

"  Don't  you  know  that  I  am  your  guardeen  ?  " 

"  That  may  be  so,  Uncle  Abner,  but  I  am  not 
going  back  to  the  farm." 

"You'll  go  if  I  say  so!" 

"No,  I  won't!"  and  Nat's  eyes  flashed  fire. 
"  I'm  going  to  support  myself,  and  all  I  ask  is  to 
be  let  alone." 

"  Oh,  leave  him  stay,  Abner,"  broke  in  Mrs. 
Balberry.  "  You  don't  want  him,  now  you  have 
Fred." 

The  farmer  was  on  the  point  of  saying  that  Nat 
as  a  worker  was  worth  two  Freds,  but  he  thought 
it  best  to  keep  silent  on  that  point. 

"  I'd  like  to  make  certain  you  are  stopping  writh 
decent  folks,"  said  he,  after  another  pause. 

"  And  you  won't  bother  me  if  I  can  prove 
that  ?  "  cried  our  hero,  eagerly. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          155 

"  I  guess  so,  Nat.  But  you  mustn't  come  down 
on  me  fer  board  an'  clothes,  later  on." 

"  I  won't." 

The  matter  was  talked  over  for  a  few  minutes 
longer,  and  in  the  end  Nat  led  the  way  to  his 
boarding  house  and  introduced  his  uncle  and  Mrs. 
Balberry  to  Mrs.  Talcott.  The  surroundings 
rather  pleased  Abner  Balberry,  and  he  ended  by 
arranging  to  stay  with  Mrs.  Talcott  for  several 
days. 

"It's  better'n  them  hotels,"  said  the  farmer. 
"  It's  more  like  hum,  ain't  it,  Lucy?  " 

"  Yes,  but  it  ain't  quite  so  high-toned,"  said 
the  bride,  who  was  inclined  to  cut  a  dash  when- 
ever the  opportunity  afforded. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

NAT  BECOMES  A   PRIVATE   CLERK 

ABNER  BALBERRY  and  his  bride  remained  in 
New  York  four  days  longer,  and  during  that 
time  Nat  did  all  in  his  power  to  make  their  visit  a 
pleasant  one.  He  received  Mr.  Garwell's  permis- 
sion to  remain  away  from  work  one  day,  and  took 
his  uncle  and  aunt  to  Central  Park,  and  to  the 
Brooklyn  Bridge,  and  the  Statue  of  Liberty. 
They  were  greatly  pleased,  and  were  frank  enough 
to  tell  Nat  so. 

"  I  guess  you  are  more  cut  out  for  the  city 
than  for  the  farm,"  said  Abner  to  his  nephew.  "  I 
hope  you  do  well.  You  must  write  to  us  often, 
an'  some  day  you  must  pay  us  a  visit." 

"  I  certainly  will  do  that,  Uncle  Abner."  said 
Nat,  and  then,  to  please  the  bride,  he  purchased 
for  her  a  souvenir  book,  containing  many  illus- 
trations of  the  metropolis.  This  book  Mrs.  Bal- 
berry  prized  highly,  and  from  that  moment  she 
began  to  like  Nat. 

"  He  ain't  half  so  bad  as  I  was  led  to  expect," 
156 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          157 

she  said,  on  the  way  home.  "  He  seems  to  know 
what  he  is  doing." 

"  He  certainly  is  gettin'  along,"  responded 
Abner.  "  Shouldn't  wonder  but  what  he'll  be  a 
regular  business  man  some  day." 

"  Do  you  think  it  would  pay  to  send  Fred 
down  to  the  city?  " 

"  No,  he  better  stay  on  the  farm.  Fred  ain't 
got  the  way  about  him  thet  Nat's  got." 

"  He's  just  as  smart,"  said  the  youth's  mother, 
quickly. 

"  Maybe,  but  he  ain't  got  the  knack  o'  it." 

"  He  would  do  just  as  well  if  he  had  the 
chance,"  continued  Mrs.  Balberry.  As  was  per- 
haps natural  she  thought  her  own  son  as  good  as 
any  boy. 

On  the  day  after  Nat's  uncle  left  New  York 
John  Garwell  called  the  boy  into  his  private  office. 

"  Did  you  arrange  mattters  with  Mr.  Bal- 
berry? "  he  asked,  pleasantly. 

'  Yes,  sir.  He  is  going  to  leave  me  alone  after 
this,"  and  our  hero  smiled. 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  it,  Nat.  Then  there  is 
nothing  in  the  way  of  your  continuing  here." 

"  No,  sir." 

"  In  that  case  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question. 
How  would  you  like  to  take  up  stenography  and 
typewriting?  " 


158          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  I'd  like  it  first-rate,  if  I  thought  I  could  do 
anything-  with  them  after  I  had  learned  them." 

"  I  would  like  to  have  a  private  secretary  who 
understood  stenography,  and  the  use  of  the  type- 
writer/' 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Garwell,  do  you  think  I  would  do?  " 

"  Perhaps.  You  are  bright,  and  I  feel  that  I 
can  trust  you." 

u  If  you  want  me  to,  I'll  go  at  stenography  and 
typewriting  at  once." 

:e  You'll  have  to  have  some  time  for  it." 

"  I  can  go  at  night.  There  are  several  evening 
schools  I  know  of." 

"  Very  well,  then,  you  may  start  in  at  once,  and 
I  will  pay  your  tuition  fees." 

"  I  can  pay  those  out  of  my  savings." 

"  No,  bring  the  bills  to  me,  Nat.  And  after 
this  week  your  duties  will  be  wholly  as  my  pri- 
vate clerk,"  added  John  Garwell. 

This  made  quite  a  change  for  our  hero.  But 
it  was  an  agreeable  one,  and  he  went  at  his  new 
duties  with  vigor.  A  good  school  was  selected, 
which  Nat  attended  five  nights  in  the  week. 

"  This  kind  of  knocks  me  out,"  said  Dick,  when 
our  hero  told  him  of  the  change. 

"  No,  it  don't,"  said  Nat,  quickly.  « I've 
made  arrangements  for  you,  Dick." 

"Me?    How?" 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          159 

'  You  are  to  come  three  nights  a  week,  for 
lessons  in  arithmetic  and  penmanship." 

"  Do  they  give  the  lessons  free?  " 

"  No,  I  am  going  to  settle  that." 

"  How  much  will  you  pay?  " 

"  Three  dollars  a  month." 

"  I  ought  to  pay  that." 

"  No,  I  am  going  to  do  it,"  said  Nat,  firmly, 
and  he  kept  his  word. 

As  John  Gar  well's  private  clerk,  Nat  received 
ten  dollars  per  week,  and  as  he  had  no  school  bills 
to  pay  for  himself  he  found  it  easy  to  pay  for 
Dick.  The  newsboy  was  making  rapid  progress, 
and  this  not  only  pleased  his  mother,  but  also  the 
man  who  had  promised  to  give  Dick  a  position  in 
his  stationery  store. 

"  I'm  going  to  have  a  job  in  the  store  next 
month,"  said  the  newsboy  one  day.  "  Mr.  An- 
drews' clerk  is  going  to  leave,  and  I  am  to  take 
his  place." 

"  And  how  much  will  Mr.  Andrews  give  you?  " 
askecl  Mrs.  Talcott. 

"  Six  dollars  a  week  to  start  on,  and  he  says  he 
will  give  me  eight  dollars  as  soon  as  I  can  help 
on  the  books." 

"  1  am  glad  to  hear  it,  Dick." 

"  I  guess  I've  got  Nat  to  thank  for  the  job," 
said  the  newsboy.  "  I  had  to  do  some  writing 


x6o          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

for  Mr.  Andrews,  and  he  said  the  writing  was  all 
right" 

"  Yes,  you  can  certainly  thank  Nat,"  said  Mrs. 
Talcott. 

The  days  passed  swiftly  for  Nat.  He  made 
good  progress  at  the  evening  school,  and  Mr.  Gar- 
well  was  correspondingly  pleased.  Every  day  the 
real  estate  broker  trusted  Nat  more  and  more, 
until  the  lad  occupied  a  truly  responsible  posi- 
tion. 

One  day  Nat  was  sent  to  Brooklyn,  to  have  a 
certain  document  signed  by  a  lady  of  wealth. 

'  You  must  get  Mrs.  Parloe's  signature  to  this, 
Nat/'  said  his  employer,  "  and  get  somebody  to 
witness  the  signature,  and  sign  here,"  he  added. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

'  The  paper  is  valuable,  and  I  don't  want  you 
to  let  it  go  out  of  your  sight,"  went  on  John 
Garwell. 

"  I'll  take  care  to  keep  my  eye  on  it,"  answered 
Nat. 

He  was  soon  on  his  way,  and  after  crossing 
the  Brooklyn  Bridge,  took  a  street  car  to  the  ad- 
dress given  him.  It  was  a  fine  brownstone  house, 
with  elegant  lace  curtains  at  the  windows. 

"  Does  Mrs.  Parloe  live  here?  "  he  asked  of  the 
girl  who  came  to  the  door. 

"  Yes,  sir." 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          161 

"  I  would  like  to  see  her  on  business,"  and  Nat 
handed  out  a  card  on  which  was  printed: 


JOHN  WILBUR  GARWELL, 
Real  Estate  Broker. 


Represented  by 

NATHANIEL  M.  MASON. 


The  girl  told  Nat  to  take  a  seat,  and  went  off 
with  the  card.  He  waited  for  fully  five  minutes, 
during  which  he  heard  a  low  murmur  of  voices 
in  a  back  room.  Then  a  tall,  dark-eyed  man 
came  forward. 

"  What  do  you  wish  of  Mrs.  Parloe  ?  "  he  ques- 
tioned, abruptly. 

"  Excuse  me,  but  my  business  is  with  the  lady," 
answered  Nat,  politely.  He  had  been  told  to 
transact  business  with  Mrs.  Parloe  and  with  no- 
body else. 

"  Oh !  I  suppose  you  came  about  that  prop- 
erty," went  on  the  dark-eyed  man,  surlily.  "  If 
you  did,  let  me  tell  you,  it  won't  do  any  good." 

To  this  our  hero  made  no  reply. 

"  Mrs.  Parloe  will  see  you  upstairs,"  said  the 
girl,  returning,  and  showed  Nat  the  way  up.  The 
dark-eyed  man  started  to  follow,  but  the  girl 
called  him  back. 


i62          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Mrs.  Parloe  wished  you  to  remain  below, 
Mr.  Cameron,"  she  said. 

At  this  the  man  uttered  something-  under  his 
breath  which  Nat  could  not  catch.  Evidently, 
he  was  very  angry,  and  he  went  into  a  side  room, 
slamming  the  door  after  him. 

Nat  found  Mrs.  Parloe  sitting  in  an  easy  chair 
by  a  front  window.  She  was  something  of  an 
invalid  and  rather  old. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Nason,"  said  she. 
"  Take  a  seat." 

"  Thank  you,"  returned  Nat.  "  Here  is  a 
note  for  you  from  Mr.  .Garwell,"  and  he  passed 
it  over. 

The  old  lady  read  the  communication  care- 
fully, nodding  to  herself  as  she  did  so.  Then  she 
turned  again  to  our  hero. 

"  Have  you  the  document  with  you?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  and  Nat  brought  it  forth. 
:'  You  will  have  to  have  somebody  as  a  witness. 
Can  I  call  somebody  for  you  ?  " 

The  old  lady  mused  for  a  moment. 

"  I  don't  believe  Rufus  will  do  it,"  she  said, 
half  aloud. 

"  Do  you  mean  the  gentleman  I  met  down- 
stairs?" 

"  Yes,  my  nephew,  Rufus  Cameron.  He  does 
not  wish  me  to  transact  business  with  Mr.  Gar- 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          163 

well.  You  may  call  John,  my  hired  man.  He 
is  quite  intelligent." 

"Where  will  I  find  him?" 

"  You  will — but  never  mind,  Mary  can  call 
him." 

Mrs.  Parloe  touched  a  bell,  and  soon  Mary  ap- 
peared, and  went  off  to  find  the  hired  man.  In 
the  meantime,  Nat  fixed  a  reading  stand  so  it 
could  be  used  as  a  writing  table,  and  brought  out 
a  stylographic  pen  his  employer  had  given  him. 

Soon  the  hired  man  appeared.  He  was  fairly 
well  educated,  and  showed  it  in  his  face  and  man- 
ner. 

"  I  am  going  to  sign  this  document.  John," 
said  the  old  lady.  "  I  wish  you  to  witness  my 
signature." 

"  Yes,  ma'am." 

Not  without  something  of  an  effort,  Mrs. 
Parloe  affixed  her  signature  to  the  paper.  Then 
Nat  handed  the  document  to  John,  and  told  him 
where  to  place  his  own  name  in  full,  and  also 
his  address.  In  a  minute  the  matter  was  con- 
cluded, and  Mrs.  Parloe  told  the  hired  man  to 
go,  and  he  did  so. 

"  I  trust  Mr.  Garwell  has  no  further  difficulty 
in  this  matter,"  said  the  old  lady,  as  Nat  stowed 
the  document  away  in  his  pocket. 

"  He  told  me  to  say  that  he  is  going  to  put  it 


164         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

through  just  as  soon  as  he  can,"  answered  Nat. 
"  I  don't  know  anything  more  about  it  than  that." 

"  Are  you  one  of  his  clerks  ?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am — his  private  clerk." 

"  You  are  rather  young  for  such  a  position." 

"  I  suppose  I  am,  but  Mr.  Garwell  seems  to  like 
me,  and  I  am  doing  what  I  can  to  please  him." 

"  Mr.  Garwell  is  a  good  man,"  said  the  old 
lady,  and  there  the  interview  came  to  an  end,  and 
Nat  left  the  room.  He  was  just  going  to  leave 
the  house  when  the  dark-eyed  man  stepped  into 
the  lower  hallway,  and  caught  him  by  the  arm. 


CHAPTER  XX 
RUFUS  CAMERON'S  BOLD  MOVE 

"WHAT  do  you  want?"  demanded  our  hero. 
He  did  not  like  the  idea  of  being  detained,  now 
that  his  business  was  concluded. 

"  I  want  to  talk  to  you  a  minute,"  said  the  man. 
"  Come  into  the  parlor." 

"  I  am  in  something  of  a  hurry,  Mr. " 

"  My  name  is  Rufus  Cameron.  Mrs.  Parloe 
is  my  aunt.  I  must  talk  to  you.  Come  in." 

Rufus  Cameron  caught  a  firm  hold  of  our 
hero  and  almost  forced  him  into  the  parlor.  Then 
he  shut  the  door  tightly  and  stood  in  front  of  it. 

"What  do  you  want?"  demanded  Nat.  He 
did  not  like  the  looks  of  Rufus  Cameron.  The 
fellow's  face  was  dissipated. 

"  You  got  my  aunt  to  sign  a  certain  docu- 
ment, didn't  you?  " 

"What  if  I  did?" 

"  I  want  to  see  that  paper." 

"  If  you  do,  you'll  have  to  see  my  employer 
about  it." 

165 


166          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

'  YouVe  got  the  paper  right  here.  Why  can't 
you  show  it  to  me  ?  " 

"  Because  I  have  no  authority  for  so  doing/' 
answered  our  hero,  firmly. 

"  Humph !  It  won't  hurt  you  to  let  me  look 
over  the  paper/'  growled  Rufus  Cameron. 

"  I  have  my  orders." 

"  Did  John  Garwell  tell  you  not  to  show  me 
the  paper  ?  " 

"  He  told  me  to  have  it  signed,  and  to  bring  it 
right  back." 

"  Well,  I  want  to  see  it.  and  I'm  going  to  do  it 
before  you  leave  this  house." 

"  Are  you  going  to  take  the  paper  away  from 
me!  "  cried  Nat,  in  alarm. 

"  I  only  want  to  look  at  it.  As  soon  as  I've 
read  it,  I'll  give  it  back  to  you." 

"  I  can't  allow  the  paper  to  go  out  of  my  pos- 
session, Mr.  Cameron."  . 

"  Mrs.  Parloe  isn't  entirely  responsible  for  what 
she  does.  I  must  see  to  it  that  everything  is  all 
right* 

"  Well,  you  had  better  call  on  Mr.  Garwell." 

"  No,  I  must  see  the  document  while  you  have 
it  here.  Come !  hand  it  over." 

"  I  will  not." 

Nat  had  scarcely  spoken  when  Rufus  Cameron 
caught  him  roughly  by  the  shoulder. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          167 

"  Look  here,  boy,  I  am  not  a  man  to  be  trifled 
with !  "  he  whispered,  fiercely.  "  Let  me  see  the 
paper,  and  it  will  be  all  right.  But  if  you  won't, 
I'll  make  a  whole  lot  of  trouble  for  you." 

"  Let  go  of  me !  "  and  Nat  tried  to  pull  himself 
away. 

"  You  stole  this  ring  while  you  were  upstairs," 
said  Rufus  Cameron,  quickly,  and,  putting  his 
hand  in  Nat's  side  pocket,  he  brought  it  out  again 
with  a  diamond  ring. 

"  I — I  never  saw  that  ring  before,"  gasped  Nat. 

"  You  stole  it,  I  say,  and  unless  you  behave 
yourself,  I'll  have  you  arrested,"  went  on  Rufus 
Cameron,  coldly. 

Nat  was  dumfounded,  but  like  a  flash  he  saw 
through  the  trick  that  the  man  wanted  to  play  on 
him. 

"  You  can't  fool  me,  Mr.  Rufus  Cameron," 
said  he,  sharply.  "  Let  me  go,  or  I'll  have  you 
hauled  up  in  court  for  this.  Your  dirty  trick 
won't  work  with  me." 

Rufus  Cameron  fell  back,  crestfallen.  He  had 
not  anticipated  such  bravery  on  our  hero's  part. 
He  was  a  coward  at  heart,  and  too  much  liquor 
had  somewhat  muddled  his  brain. 

"  Then  you  won't  show  me  the  document  ?  "  he 
muttered. 

"  No." 


168          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

As  Nat  uttered  the  word,  Rufus  Cameron 
picked  up  a  sea  shell  lying  on  a  mantelshelf,  and 
swung  it  behind  his  head. 

"  If  you  don't  let  me  see  that "  he  began. 

Nat  rushed  at  him,  and  pushed  him  to  one  side. 
Then  our  hero  made  for  the  door.  He  was  just 
opening  it  when  the  seashell  was  sent  whizzing 
forward.  It  hit  Nat  on  the  head,  and  the  boy 
dropped  unconscious  across  an  easy  chair. 

For  the  instant  Rufus  Cameron  was  startled. 
Then  rushing  to  the  door,  he  locked  it,  and  also 
locked  some  folding  doors  leading  to  a  rear  apart- 
ment. 

"  I  hope  I  didn't  hurt  him  much/'  he  muttered. 
"  What  a  young  fool  he  was  not  to  let  me  see 
the  paper." 

He  propped  Nat  up  in  the  easy  chair,  and  placed 
his  hand  in  the  boy's  inside  pocket.  Soon  he  had 
the  document  in  his  possession,  and  was  looking 
over  it  rapidly. 

"  Just  as  I  thought.  I'm  glad  I  got  it.  Now, 
we'll  see  if  Shanley  and  I  can't  outwit  Mr.  John 
Garwell." 

Nat  was  already  coming  to  his  senses,  and 
Rufus  Cameron  lost  no  time  in  hurrying  to  the 
library  of  the  house.  Here  he  obtained  an  old 
document  of  no  consequence,  but  which  still  bore 
his  aunt's  signature.  Rushing  back,  he  placed 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          169 

this  in  the  envelope  which  had  held  the  other  paper 
of  importance. 

Nat  was  just  returning-  to  his  senses  when  he 
f  ind  himself  being  taken  out  of  the  house  by 
Rufus  Cameron.  The  man  supported  him  as 
far  as  the  corner  and  there  placed  him  on  a  stone 
step  leading  to  a  church. 

"  Wha — what  did  you  hit  me  for?  "  stammered 
our  hero,  feebly. 

"  I  didn't  mean  to  do  that;  really  I  didn't/'  said 
Rufus  Cameron,  smoothly.  "  The  shell  slipped. 
I  am  very  sorry — very  sorry,  indeed." 

"  It  was  a  mean  thing  to  do." 

"  It  was  an  accident,  I  give  you  my  word  on 
it." 

Nat  felt  in  his  pocket  to  learn  if  the  document 
was  still  there. 

"  Did  you  look  at  that  paper?  "  he  questioned. 

"  No,  I  didn't.  On  second  thought  I  have 
concluded  to  let  my  aunt  do  just  as  she  pleases  in 
this  matter." 

Nat  felt  in  no  condition  to  argue.  He  took 
out  the  document,  glanced  at  it,  and  shoved  it 
back  into  the  envelope  and  then  in  his  pocket. 

"  I'm  sorry  this  happened.  I  was  excited  for 
the  minute.  Come  and  have  a  drink  with  me. 
It  will  do  you  good,"  went  on  Rufus  Cameron. 

"  I  don't  drink." 


i;o          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE    , 

"  Shall  I  .show  you  to  the  car  then  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

When  Nat  got  up  the  rascal  supported  him, 
and  thus  they  made  their  way  to  the  car  line  run- 
ning to  the  Bridge.  Here,  our  hero  boarded  a 
car,  and  Rufus  Cameron  watched  him  ride  out 
of  sight. 

"  That  was  easy  after  all,"  muttered  Rufus 
Cameron  to  himself.  "  I  only  hope  it  don't  make 
too  much  trouble  in  the  future.  I'll  have  to  let 
Shanley  have  this  document  without  delay,  and 
I'd  better  get  out  of  sight  until  the  affair  blows 
over." 

Making  his  way  to  a  neighboring  cafe,  Rufus 
Cameron  treated  himself  to  a  drink  of  strong 
liquor  and  a  black-looking  cigar.  Then  he  re- 
turned to  his  aunt's  home.  He  lived  with  her, 
and  was  doing  his  best  to  get  certain  of  her 
properties  away  from  her. 

"  Aunt  Jane,  what  did  that  young  man  want?  " 
he  asked,  as  he  entered  her  room. 

"  He  came  to  see  me  on  private  business, 
Rufus,"  was  the  quiet  answer.  Mrs.  Parloe  did 
not  fancy  her  nephew's  habits,  and  had  often 
warned  him  that  he  must  reform. 

"  Was  there  anything  I  could  do  for  you?  " 

"  No,  Rufus." 

"  Do  you  know,  Aunt  Jane,  I've  been  think- 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          171 

ing  of  taking  a  trip  to  the  West/'  he  went  on, 
after  a  pause. 

"  So  you  said  before." 
"  I'd  go  in  a  minute  if  I  ha,d  the  money." 
"  How  much  do  you  want  ?  " 
'  Two  or  three  hundred  dollars  at  least." 
"  Is  the  money  gone  that  I  let  you  have  last 
month  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  had  to  pay  some  back  bills  with  that." 
'You  are  very  extravagant,  Rufus." 
"  Oh,  a  young  man  must  spend  spmething." 
"  But  not  as  much  as  you  spend." 
"  I  don't  spend  any  more  than  the  rest  of  the 
fellows  in  my  set.     I  have  got  to  keep  up  appear- 
ances^ you  know." 

'  Your  set  is  altogether  too  fast  a  one  to  suit 
me." 

"  Will  you  let  me  have  the  money  ?  " 
"  How  long  do  you  expect  to  be  gone  ?  " 
'  That  depends  upon  what  you  will  give  me. 
If  you'll  let  me  have  five  hundred  dollars,  I'll 
make  a  trip  of  two  or  three  months." 

Mrs.  Parloe  thought  for  a  moment,  and  at  last 
consented  to  give  her  nephew  the  five  hundred. 
She  had  her  check  book  handy,  and  soon  the 
check  was  passed  over  to  the  nephew. 
"  When  shall  you  start?  "  she  asked. 
"  I  don't  know.     I've  a  good  notion  to  start 


i7*         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

to-night.  But  if  you  want  me  to  do  anything  for 
you  before  I  go " 

:t  There  is  nothing,  Rufus.  Only,  if  you  want 
to  please  me,  don't  get  into  any  bad  habits  while 
you  are  gone." 

"  Oh,  I'm  going  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf  when 
I  leave  Brooklyn,"  said  the  hypocrite.  "  Then,  I 
can  leave  to-night  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  In  that  case,  I'll  pack  my  trunk  at  once,"  said 
Rufus  Cameron ;  and  a  little  later  he  did  so.  Then 
he  had  the  trunk  taken  away,  bid  his  aunt  good- 
by,  and  was  off. 

"  That  was  easy,"  he  said  to  himself,  when 
away  from  the  house.  "  Now  to  see  Shanley 
and  to  arrange  for  keeping  out  of  sight,  in  case 
John  Garwell  kicks  up  a  fuss." 


CHAPTER  XXI 

A  MISSING  DOCUMENT  OF  VALUE 

As  soon  as  Nat  returned  to  the  office  he  sought 
out  Mr.  Garwell,  and  handed  him  the  document  in 
the  envelope. 

"  Did  you  have  any  trouble  getting  Mrs.  Par- 
loe's  signature?  "  asked  the  real  estate  broker. 

"  I  had  no  trouble  getting  the  signature,  but 
I  had  trouble  getting  away  from  the  house/'  an- 
swered Nat. 

"  Trouble  getting  away  ?  What  do  you 
mean?" 

"  I  was  stopped  by  her  nephew,  a  man  named 
Rufus  Cameron.  He  handled  me  rather 
roughly." 

"  Did  he  try  to  get  the  document  away  from 
you  ?  "  And  now  John  Garwell  was  all  atten- 
tion. 

"  He  hauled  me  in  the  parlor,  and  demanded 
that  I  let  him  look  at  the  paper.  I  refused,  and 
then  he  threatened  me." 

"  And  what  happened  after  that?  " 

"  He  put  his  hand  in  my  pocket  and  brought 
173 


i74         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

out    a   diamond   ring.      He   said   I   had   stolen 
it." 

"Of  course    you  hadn't,  Nat?" 

"  I  had  never  seen  the  ring  before.  But  that 
wasn't  the  worst  of  it.  He  picked  up  a  sea  shell 
and  hit  me  with  it  and  knocked  me  senseless/' 

After  that  our  hero  told  his  story  in  detail,  re- 
lating also  what  Rufus  Cameron  had  said  on  as- 
sisting him  to  the  street  car.  The  real  estate 
broker  listened  with  keen  interest. 

1  That  man  is  a  scoundrel !  "  he  exclaimed, 
when  Nat  had  concluded  his  story.  "  I  pity  Mrs. 
Parloe.  He  is  doing  his  best  to  get  all  her  money 
from  her." 

"  It  was  a  mean  trick  to  say  I  took  the  ring," 
declared  Nat. 

"  He  did  that  thinking  to  get  you  in  his  power, 
my  boy.  Are  you  sure  he  didn't  look  at  the 
document  ?  " 

"  I  can't  say  what  he  did  while  I  was  sense- 
less, Mr.  Garwell." 

"  I'll  take  a  look  at  the  paper  and  see  if  he 
made  any  alterations  in  the  text." 

John  Garwell  looked  at  the  document  and  be- 
gan to  read  it. 

(f  Why,  this  is  not  the  paper  I  gave  you,  Nat," 
he  ejaculated. 

"Not  the  same?" 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          175 

"  No.  It's  some  old  thing  that  I  know  nothing 
about." 

"  If  that's  the  case,  Mr.  Cameron  substituted 
this  paper  for  the  real  one!  "  exclaimed  our  hero. 
"  He  could  easily  have  done  that  during  the  time 
I  was  knocked  out." 

"  I'll  see  about  this  without  delay,"  said  John 
Garwell,  decisively.  "  I  will  show  that  fellow 
that  he  can't  carry  matters  with  quite  such  a  high 
hand." 

"What  can  he  do  with  that  paper,  Mr.  Gar- 
well?" 

"  He  can  cause  me  a  great  deal  of  trouble. 
The  paper  refers  to  a  piece  of  property  in  which 
Mrs.  Parloe  held  an  interest.  I  have  been  trying 
to  get  a  free  and  clear  title  to  the  land  for  a  client 
of  mine,  and  another  real  estate  dealer  named 
Andrew  Shanley  has  been  trying  to  get  the  land 
for  another  party.  It  is  a  mixed-up  affair,  but 
I  hoped  the  signing  of  that  paper  would  help  to 
straighten  out  matters." 

The  real  estate  broker  was  as  good  as  his 
word,  but  he  was  exceedingly  busy,  and  it  was 
not  until  two  in  the  afternoon  that  lie  could  get 
away.  Then  he  went  to  Brooklyn,  taking  Nat 
with  him. 

"  I  would  like  to  see  Mr.  Cameron,"  said  he 
to  the  girl  at  Mrs.  Parloe's  home. 


176          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Mr.  Cameron  has  gone  away,  sir/'  was  the 
unexpected  answer. 

"  Do  you  know  when  he  will  be  back  ?  " 

"  I'll  ask  Mrs.  Parloe,"  said  the  girl. 

She  went  upstairs,  leaving  them  in  the  parlor 
below.  Soon  she  came  back. 

"  He  has  gone  out  west,  Mrs.  Parloe  says, 
and  she  doesn't  expect  him  back  for  two  or  three 
months." 

"  Gone  west,"  cried  Nat.     "  When  did  he  go  ?  " 

"  He  went  away  about  noon." 

"  Did  he  take  any  baggage  ?  "  asked  John  Gar- 
well. 

''  Yes,  sir,  a  dress-suit  case,  and  he  sent  an  ex- 
pressman around  for  his  trunk,  too." 

'*  Then  I  won't  bother  you  any  more,"  said  the 
real  estate  broker,  and  left  the  house,  followed 
by  Nat. 

"  Don't  you  want  to  ask  Mrs.  Parloe  about 
this  ?  "  queried  our  hero. 

"  It  would  be  useless  to  do  so,  Nat.  It  would 
only  upset  the  old  lady." 

"  She  might  be  able  to  tell  us  just  where  her 
nephew  had  gone  to?" 

"  It  is  not  likely.  He  intends  to  keep  out  of 
the  way,  that  is  certain." 

"  Maybe  he  didn't  go  west  at  all ! "  said  our 
hero,  suddenly. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE         17? 

'*'  Such  a  thing-  is  possible." 

"  Did  you  say  he  was  in  league  with  this  other 
real  estate  broker  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,  although  I  know 
he  and  this  Shanley  are  friends." 

"  I  wonder  if  it  wouldn't  be  a  good  idea  for 
me  to  watch  around  this  Shanley's  office  for 
him?" 

"  Ha !  That  is  an  idea."  John  Garwell  smiled 
broadly.  "  Nat,  you  are  growing  clever." 

"  Even  if  I  couldn't  get  the  paper,  I  could  prove 
that  he  had  not  gone  west,  as  he  told  his  aunt,  and 
I  could  follow  him,  and  find  out  where  he  was 
stopping." 

"  Well,  you  can  do  the  watching  if  you  wish. 
I  will  give  you  Andrew  V.  Shanley's  address. 
His  place  of  business  is  between  here  and  the 
Bridge." 

"Shall  I  go  there  at  once?" 

"  If  you  wish." 

The  address  was  written  on  a  slip  of  paper, 
and  a  little  later  Nat  and  his  employer  separated. 
John  Garwell  gazed  after  our  hero  curiously. 

"  He  is  improving  wonderfully,"  he  mused. 
"  He  isn't  half  as  green  as  when  I  first  met  him." 

Nat  had  been  told  what  car  to  take,  and  ten 
minutes  sufficed  to  bring  him  to  the  block  upon 
which  Andrew  Shanley's  office  was  located,  on 


i;S          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

the  third  floor  of  a  large  office  building.  He 
went  upstairs,  and  managed  to  get  a  peep  into  the 
office,  and  found  Rufus  Cameron  was  not  there. 

"  Of  course  he  may  have  been  here  already," 
he  told  himself.  "  But  I've  got  to  take  my  chances 
about  that.  I'll  stay  here  until  the  place  shuts 
up." 

Going  below  again,  he  took  a  station  across 
the  street  and  began  to  wait  patiently  for  the  ap- 
pearance of  Rufus  Cameron. 

As  luck  would  have  it,  he  had  waited  less  than 
half  an  hour  when  he  saw  Mrs.  Parloe's  nephew 
step  from  a  car  at  the  corner,  and  approach  the 
office  building. 

"  Mr.  Cameron,  I  want  to  see  you !  "  he  ex- 
claimed, coming  forward,  and  confronting  the 
man. 

Rufus  Cameron  had  not  expected  to  meet  Nat 
again  so  soon,  and  for  the  moment  he  was  clum- 
founded. 

"  Wha — what  do  you  want  ?  "  he  stammered, 
halting. 

"  You  know  well  enough  what  I  want,"  an- 
swered our  hero,  sharply.  "  I  want  that  docu- 
ment you  stole  from  me." 

"  Stole  from  you !  " 

"  That  is  what  I  said,  Rufus  Cameron." 

"  I — I  don't  know  what  you  are  talking  about." 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          179 

"  You  do  know,  and  unless  you  give  up  the 
paper  I  am  going  to  have  you  arrested  right  now." 

At  these  words  Rufus  Cameron  turned  pale. 
As  said  before,  he  was  a  good  deal  of  a  coward, 
and  being  caught  so  unexpectedly  threw  him 
somewhat  from  his  mental  balance. 

"  You — you  can't  have  me  arrested !  " 

"  Yes,  I  can." 

"  How  did  you  come  to  look  for  me  here?  " 

"  Mr.  Garwell  sent  me  here.  He  is  up  to  your 
tricks." 

"  Did  he  tell  yon  to — to  have  me  arrested?  " 

"  Never  mind  what  he  told  me.  I  want  that 
paper,  and  I  want  it  right  now." 

•"  I — I  haven't  got  any  paper.  I — I  don't  know 
what  you  are  talking  about." 

;'  Yes,  you  have  got  that  paper.  You  took  it 
from  me  after  you  knocked  me  down  in  your 
aunt's  parlor.  Isn't  that  so?  " 

As  Nat  finished  he  nodded,  as  if  talking  to 
somebody  behind  Rufus  Cameron.  At  once  the 
guilty  fellow  turned  his  head  to  learn  who  was 
listening  to  the  conversation.  As  he  did  this,  Nat 
thrust  his  hand  in  the  rascal's  breast  pocket,  and 
brought  forth  the  document  which  had  caused  all 
the  trouble. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

AT  THE  ELEVATED  STATION 

"  Hi,  stop  that !  "  roared  Ruf us  Cameron,  mak- 
ing a  clutch  for  the  document.  But  before  he 
could  reach  it  Nat  was  at  a  safe  distance.  Our 
hero  glanced  at  the  paper,  to  make  certain  that 
it  was  the  right  one,  and  then  put  it  in  his  pocket, 
and  buttoned  up  his  jacket. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Rufus  Cameron,  I  guess  we  are 
square,"  said  Nat,  in  something  a  tone  of  tri- 
umph. 

:'  You  young  thief,  give  me  back  that  docu- 
ment," cried  the  man,  savagely. 

"  Not  much !  I  am  going  to  give  it  to  Mr. 
Garwell." 

"  That  isn't  his  document." 

"  Yes,  it  is." 

"  I  say  it  isn't.  If  you  don't  give  me  the  papef, 
I'll  call  a  policeman." 

"  Do  it,  and  I'll  have  you  arrested  for  knocking 
me  over  with  the  sea  shell  and  robbing  me." 

Rufus  Cameron  glared  at  our  hero.     He  was 

180 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          181 

baffled  and  did  not  know  what  to  do  next.  Pres- 
ently a  crafty  look  came  into  his  eyes. 

"  See  here,  you're  a  pretty  smart  boy,"  he  said, 
in  a  calmer  tone. 

"  Thank  you  for  nothing." 

"  What  is  John  Garwell  going  to  give  you  for 
getting  that  paper?  " 

"  Nothing — at  least  I  don't  expect  anything." 

"  You're  a  fool  to  work  for  nothing,"  sneered 
Rufus  Cameron.  "  You'll  never  get  rich  doing1 
that." 

"  If  I  don't  it  will  be  my  own  affair." 

"  Do  you  understand  this  business  at  all,  boy?  " 

"  I  understand  some  of  it." 

"  Don't  you  know  that  John  Garwell  is  trying 
to  defraud  my  aunt  out  of  a  lot  of  money  ?  " 

"  I  certainly  know  nothing  of  the  kind." 

"  It's  a  fact.  I  am  only  trying  to  protect  my 
aunt's  interests.  She  is  rather  queer  in  her  head 
at  times,  and  doesn't  know  what  she  is  doing." 

"  She  wasn't  queer  when  she  signed  this  paper." 

"  Yes,  she  was.  But  we  will  let  that  pass. 
Give  me  the  paper,  and  I'll  pay  you  handsomely 
for  it.  You  can  tell  Garwell  that  you  couldn't 
locate  me." 

"How  much  will  you  give?"  asked  Nat,  al- 
though he  had  no  intention  of  accepting  the  ras- 
cal's offer. 


i8a          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  I'll  give  you— five  dollars." 

'  That  isn't  much.     The  paper  is  worth  more." 

"  No,  it  isn't." 

"  I  won't  give  it  up  for  five  dollars." 

"  Well,  we'll  make  it  ten  dollars.  Come,  hand 
the  paper  over.  It's  easy  money  for  you." 

'  The  paper  is  worth  every  bit  of  a  hundred 
dollars,"  said  our  hero,  just  to  draw  the  rascal 
out,  and  learn  if  possible  how  valuable  Rufus 
Cameron  really  considered  the  document. 

"  A  hundred  dollars !  Nonsense !  But  I'll  tell 
you  what  I'll  do.  I'm  sorry  I  knocked  you  down 
at  my  aunt's  house.  Fll  give  you  twenty-five 
dollars." 

"  When  will  you  pay  me  ?  " 

"  Now,"  and  Rufus  Cameron  brought  forth  a 
roll  of  bills. 

;'  You  can  keep  your  money,  Rufus  Cameron." 

"Eh?" 

"  I  wouldn't  touch  a  penny  of  it.  Do  you  know 
what  I  think?  I  think  you  are  a  first-class 
scoundrel." 

"What!  This  to  me?"  stormed  the  fellow, 
shoving  his  money  back  into  his  pocket. 

:e  Yes,  that  to  you.  I  am  sorry  Mrs.  Parloe 
has  such  a  rascal  for  a  relative.  Now,  I  am  go- 
ing to  bid  you  good-day."  And  Nat  began  to 
move  away. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          183 

"  Come  back  here,  you  young  villain !  "  cried 
Rufus  Cameron. 

He  made  a  dash  for  our  hero,  but  Nat  was  too 
quick  for  him.  The  boy  ran  across  the  street 
and  around  a  corner,  and  in  a  moment  more  was 
out  of  sight.  Rufus  Cameron  shook  his  fist  in 
impotent  rage. 

"  The  jig's  up !  "  he  muttered.  "  What  a  mess ! 
I  thought  I'd  get  a  thousand  dollars  out  of  Shan- 
ley  for  that  paper !  " 

Nat  did  not  slacken  his  pace  until  he  had 
reached  the  river.  Then  he  ran  aboard  a  ferry 
boat,  and  journeyed  thus  to  New  York,  thinking 
that  possibly  his  enemy  would  watch  the  cars. 

When  our  hero  reached  the  office  he  found 
that  the  regular  force  of  clerks  had  already  left, 
but  his  employer  was  still  at  his  desk,  finishing  up 
some  business  of  importance. 

"  Hullo !  you  are  back  quickly,"  exclaimed 
John  Garwell. 

'  Yes,  sir,  and  there's  the  document/'  answered 
Nat,  and  placed  the  paper  on  the  desk. 

John  Garwell  stared  in  amazement. 

"  Why,  how  did  this  happen  ?  "  he  queried. 

"  It  was  blind  luck,  I  guess,"  said  Nat,  and 
sitting  down,  he  told  his  tale. 

''  You  certainly  were  lucky.  So  that  rascal 
wanted  to  bribe  you  ?  " 


184         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Yes.  I  half  felt  like  knocking  him  down  for 
it."  And  Nat's  eyes  flashed. 

"  It  would  have  served  him  right."  The  real 
estate  broker  looked  the  document  over.  "  Yes, 
this  is  all  right."  He  opened  the  sheet.  "  Hullo, 
here  is  a  memorandum  of  some  kind." 

The  memorandum  was  on  a  sheet  of  plain 
white  paper.  It  contained  a  name  and  address 
and  some  figures. 

"  Eureka ! "  almost  shouted  the  real  estate 
broker.  "  This  is  luck,  truly." 

"  What  have  you  found,  Mr.  Garwell  ?  " 

"  An  address  I  have  been  hunting  for  for  over 
a  year.  Now  I  can  put  that  real  estate  deal 
through  without  further  trouble.  I  knew  Shan- 
ley  or  this  Cameron  had  that  address,  but,  of 
course,  they  wouldn't  give  it  to  me." 

"  I'm  glad  I  got  it  for  you." 

"  I  imagine  Rufus  Cameron  will  be  very  angry 
when  he  learns  that  he  has  lost  this  address." 

"  It's  his  own  fault." 

There  was  nothing  more  for  Nat  to  do  that 
day,  so  he  went  home,  and  in  the  evening  at- 
tended the  night  school  where  he  had  taken  up 
shorthand  and  typewriting.  He  was  making 
rapid  progress,  and  he  applied  himself  diligently. 

On  the  following  day,  John  Garwell  was  away 
from  the  office  until  the  middle  of  the  afternoon, 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          185 

and  he  also  went  off  the  next  morning-  On  his 
return,  his  face  wore  a  satisfied  look. 

"  Well,  that  thing  is  settled,"  he  said,  on  drop- 
ping into  his  chair.  "  And  what  a  row  I  did 
have  with  Mr.  Andrew  V.  Shanley ! " 

"You  mean  about  that  property?"  queried 
Nat,  looking  up  from  his  work  at  a  side  desk. 

"  Yes.  I  have  sold  the  property  and  got  my 
commissions,  amounting  to  four  thousand  dollars 
in  all.  Shanley  was  as  mad  as  a  hornet." 

"Did  he  mention  Rufus  Cameron?" 

"  No,  but  I  did,  and  told  him  just  what  a  dirty 
sneak  the  fellow  was.  After  that  Shanley  shut 
up  pretty  quick." 

"  Do  you  suppose  Rufus  Cameron  can  do  any- 
thing more  in  the  matter  ?  " 

"  No.  But  he  will  have  it  in  for  you,  Nat,  I 
am  afraid." 

"  Oh,  I  guess  I  can  take  care  of  myself,"  an- 
swered our  hero,  calmly. 

"  This  Shanley  has  tried  to  trip  me  up  several 
times,"  went  on  John  Garwell,  leaning  back  in 
his  office  chair.  "  He  tries  to  find  out  what  I 
am  doing,  and  then  he  does  his  best  to  steal  the 
business  away  from  me." 

"  Maybe  this  will  teach  him  a  lesson." 

"  Possibly;  but  I  am  afraid  not,  Nat." 

Several  days  passed,  and  Nat  kept  at  work 


i86         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

steadily.  During  that  time  he  received  a  letter 
from  his  uncle,  in  which  Abner  Balberry  stated 
that  he  had  arrived  home  once  more,  and  found 
everything-  on  the  farm  all  right. 

"  Uncle  Abner  isn't  such  a  bad  sort  after  air," 
thought  Nat.  "  Only  he  ought  to  drop  some  of 
his  miserly  habits.  Perhaps,  now  that  he  is 
married  again,  he  will." 

One  day  our  hero  had  to  go  up  to  One  Hundred 
and  Twenty-fifth  Street  on  an  errapd. 

'  Take  an  elevated  train,"  said  his  employer, 
and  handed  him  the  necessary  carfare. 

It  did  not  take  Nat  long  to  reach  the  elevated 
station.  Purchasing  a  ticket,  he  dropped  it  in 
the  box,  and  walked  out  on  the  platform. 

Only  a  few  people  were  present,  for  it  was  the 
quiet  hour  of  the  morning.  Among  the  number 
was  a  thick-set,  trampish-looking  fellow,  who 
was  smoking  a  short  clay  pipe.  The  man  was 
more  than  half  intoxicated,  and  lurched  from 
side  to  side  as  Jie  walked  along  the  platform. 

"  That  fellow  had  better  look  out  for  himself," 
thought  our  hero.  "  If  he  isn't  careful,  he  may 
fall  out  on  the  tracks  and  get  hurt." 

As  our  hero  had  some  time  to  wait  for  a  train, 
he  passed  the  man  several  times.  The  face  of  the 
fellow  looked  familiar,  and  Nat  wondered  where 
he  had  seen  him  before. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          187 

"  I've  certainly  met  him  somewhere,"  thought 
the  boy.  "  But  where  ?  I  don't  think  it  was  in 
New  York." 

Presently  the  elevated  train  came  into  sight 
and  those  on  the  platform  prepared  to  get  aboard 
when  it  should  stop  for  them. 

The  man  lurched  forward  as  before,  and  of  a 
sudden  fell  sprawling  directly  in  front  of  the 
fcrain. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
TOM  NOLAN'S  CONFESSION 

A  CRY  of  horror  went  up  from  those  who  saw 
the  mishap,  and  some  women  present  turned  their 
heads  away,  expecting  that  the  semi-intoxicated 
individual  would  be  killed. 

Nat's  heart  leaped  into  his  throat,  but  he  did 
not  lose  his  presence  of  mind.  He  was  but  a 
few  feet  from  the  man,  and  as  quick  as  a  flash  he 
jumped  forward,  caught  the  fellow  up,  and 
dragged  him  out  of -harm's  way. 

"  Wha — what  yer  doin'  ?  "  stammered  the  fel- 
low, gazing  unsteadily  at  our  hero. 

"Do  you  want  to  be  killed?"  asked  Nat, 
sharply. 

"  They  won't — won't  dare  to  kill  me,"  said  the 
fellow.  I'm  a — a — good  citizen." 

"  He  ought  to  be  locked  up,"  said  a  man 
standing  near. 

"  It  was  a  brave  deed,"  said  one  of  the  ladies. 

"  Who's  goin'  to  lock  me  up?  "  demanded  the 
tramp,  for  he  was  nothing  less.  And  he  began 
to  show  fight,  at  which  the  majority  of  the  crowd 
188 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          189 

turned  away,  and  hurried  to  board  the  train. 
Nat  hesitated  for  a  second,  and  then  concluded  to 
let  the  train  go  on  and  take  the  next  one. 

"  Say,  you  pulled  me  from  the  track,  didn't 
you?  "  said  the  man,  after  another  look  at  Nat. 

"  I  did." 

"  Noble  boy.     I  ought  to  reward  you." 

"  I  don't  want  any  reward." 

"  Humph !  Don't  worry,  my  dear  friend — Tom 
Nolan  ain't  got  no  money  to  reward  you  with." 
And  the  semi-drunken  man  indulged  in  a  sense- 
less chuckle. 

"  See  here,  haven't  I  met  you  before  ?  "  de- 
manded Nat,  looking  at  the  man  more  closely 
than  ever. 

"  Maybe  yer  have,  an*  maybe  yer  haven't." 

"  Where  do  you  come  from  ?  " 

"  Me  ?  I'm  an  Ohio  man,  I  am,  and  I  ain't 
ashamed  to  own  it.  Ohio's  best  State  in  the 
Union." 

"  So  you  are  from  Ohio.  Were  you  ever  in 
and  around  Brookville  and  Caswell  ?  "  went  on 
our  hero,  suddenly. 

"  Sure.  I  spent  two  months  in  that  district 
not  very  long  ago.  But  I  had  to  git  out,  I  did." 
And  the  tramp  chuckled  again. 

"  What  made  you  get  out  ?  "  And  now  Nat 
was  all  attention. 


i9o         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Folks  didn't  like  me  around." 

"Didn't  you  treat  them  fairly?" 

"  Sure  I  did,  but  they  thought  their  barns  was 
too  good  for  Tom  Nolan  to  sleep  in." 

"And  that's  why  they  chased  you  away, 
eh?" 

"  Thet's  it,  my  young  friend.  It  was  this 
way — to  tell  the  plain  truth.  One  night  I  went 
to  sleep  in  a  barn  with  my  pipe  in  my  mouth. 
Fust  thing  I  knowed  some  hay  got  afire.  A 
man  came  runnm'  to  put  the  fire  out,  and  I  had 
to  leg  it  to  git  away." 

"  Was  that  up  between  Caswell  and  Brook- 
ville?" 

''  You've  struck  it,  but — but — what's  this  to 
you,  anyway?"  and  now  Tom  Nolan  began  to 
look  disturbed. 

"  It's  a  good  deal  to  me.  That  was  my  uncle's 
barn,  and  I  was  accused  of  setting  it  on  fire." 

"  Gee  shoo !  Yer  don't  say !  Say,  I've  put  my 
foot  into  it,  ain't  I  ?  " 

:<  You  certainly  have." 

"  But,  say,  honest,  I — I  didn't  mean  to  set  the 
shebang  afire — not  on  my  life,  I  didn't." 

"You  were  smoking,  and  fell  asleep." 

"  Thet's  the  honest  truth  o'  the  matter,  my 
young  friend.  I'm  a  tramp,  an'  down  on  my 
luck,  but  I  ain't  no  barn  burner,  not  me ! " 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          191 

"  Well,  you  had  better  come  with  me,"  said 
Nat,  decidedly. 

"  What  are  yer  goin'  to  do?  " 

"  I  want  a  witness  to  what  you  just  said." 

"  Coin'  to  have  me — me  locked  up?  " 

"  No,  it's  not  worth  it.  I  only  want  to  prove 
to  my  uncle  that  I  am  not  guilty,  that's  all." 

The  tramp  followed  Nat  down  into  the  street 
and  then  over  to  John  Garwell's  office. 

"  Why,  what  does  this  mean,  Nat?  "  demanded 
his  employer,  in  astonishment,  for  visits  from 
tramps  were  unusual. 

Our  hero  lost  no  time  in  telling  his  story. 

"  I  want  my  uncle  Abner  to  know  that  I  am 
innocent,  that's  all,"  he  continued.  "  It  won't 
do  any  good  to  hold  this  chap,  for  the  barn  wasn't 
hurt  much,  anyway." 

"  I'll  settle  this,"  said  Mr.  Garwell,  and  called 
in  a  stenographer,  who  took  down  what  the 
tramp  had  to  say.  Then  the  confession  was 
typewritten,  and  Tom  Nolan  signed  it,  and  John 
Garwell  added  his  signature  as  a  witness. 

"  There,  Nat,  that  is  all  right  now,"  said  the 
real  estate  broker.  "  You  can  send  that  to  your 
uncle  when  you  please,  and  we  can  keep  a 
copy." 

"  This  is  all  I  want,"  said  our  hero  to  the 
tramp.  "  You  may  go  now." 


i92         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"Don't  want  no  more  o'  me?"  asked  Tom 
Nolan. 

"  Nothing  whatever." 

"  Say,  ain't  this  confession  good  fer  a  quar- 
ter?" 

"  I'll  give  you  a  quarter  if  you'll  promise  not 
to  spend  it  for  drink." 

"  I'll  promise,"  said  the  tramp,  and  Nat  handed 
him  twenty-five  cents.  Tom  Nolan  thanked  him, 
.and  shuffled  off;  and  that  was  the  last  our  hero 
saw  or  heard  of  him. 

"  I'm  sorry  I  lost  so  much  time/'  said  Nat  to 
his  employer.  "  But  I  wanted  to  square  myself 
with  Uncle  Abner  if  I  could." 

"  I  don't  blame  you,  Nat.  I  have  no  doubt  it 
is  a  great  worry  off  your  mind." 

"  It  is.  Now,  Uncle  Abner  will  know  I  told 
him  the  plain  truth." 

That  night  Nat  wrote  Abner  Balberry  a  long 
letter,  telling  of  his  meeting  with  the  tramp.  He 
enclosed  the  signed  confession,  and  he  had  the 
letter  registered,  so  that  it  might  not  get  lost  in 
the  mails.  A  few  clays  later  came  a  reply,  in 
which  Nat's  uncle  said  he  remembered  seeing  the 
tramp  around  on  the  day  of  the  fire,  and  stating 
that  he  was  very  sorry  that  he  had  ever  thought 
his  nephew  guilty. 

Nat's  work  frequently  took  him  out  of  town, 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          193 

and  on  one  occasion  he  had  to  go  to  Albany,  a 
trip  which  he  enjoyed  thoroughly,  as  it  gave  him 
a  chance  to  visit  the  State  Capitol. 

"  Nat,"  said  John  Garwell  one  day,  "  didn't 
you  once  tell  me  that  your  father  and  grandfather 
had  come  from  New  York  and  Brooklyn?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Was  your  grandfather  ever  interested  in 
some  property  around  Central  Park  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  but  what  he  was.  But  he  got 
rid  of  his  belongings,  so  I  was  told,  when  he 
moved  away." 

"  Did  you  ever  see  any  of  the  papers  ?  " 

''  Yes,  sir,  some  years  ago.  They  were  in  a 
trunk  up  in  my  uncle  Abner's  garret." 

"  What  was  your  grandfather's  full  name  ?  " 

"  Chester  Stout  Nason.  His  mother  was  a 
Stout." 

"  And  your  father's  full  name  ?  " 

"  William  Henry  Nason." 

"  Did  he  have  any  brothers  ?  " 

"  No,  sir — only  a  sister,  who  was  Uncle 
Abner's  first  wife." 

"  I  see.  Are  those  papers  still  in  the  trunk 
you  just  mentioned  ?  " 

"  They  ought  to  be.  They  were  packed  away 
with  some  old  account  books — bad  debts,  I  once 
heard  father  call  them.  Father  had  an  idea  he 


I94         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

could  collect  some  of  the  debts  some  day.  But 
I  guess  they  are  outlawed/' 

"  More  than  likely.  I'd  like  to  see  those  papers 
regarding  that  land  near  Central  Park." 

"  Why,  Mr.  Garwell  ?  Do  you  think  there  is 
anything  in  it  for  me?  "  cried  our  hero,  quickly. 

"  I'm  not  prepared  to  say  that  until  I  see  the 
papers.  I  am  looking  up  six  parcels  of  land, 
which  a  certain  company  want  for  the  purpose 
of  putting  up  a  big  hotel.  Some  of  the  old 
deeds  mention  a  Chester  S.  Nason  as  holding  a 
half-interest  in  one  of  the  plots  of  ground — the 
interest  being  assigned  to  him  in  payment  of  a 
claim  he  had  on  one  Maurice  LeRoy.  Did  you 
ever  hear  of  such  a  man  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Well,  supposing  you  get  those  papers  for 
me,  and  let  me  examine  them." 

"  Shall  I  send  to  Uncle  Abner  for  them?  " 

"  I  think  it  might  be  better  for  you  to  go  home 
and  sort  out  the  papers  yourself.  I'll  explain 
just  what  I  am  after.  Besides,  if  the  papers  are 
valuable,  you  had  better  not  trust  them  to  the 
mails.  I'll  pay  your  railroad  fares/' 

"  All  right,  I'll  go  home  for  them  whenever 
you  say,  Mr.  Garwell.  I  hope  the  papers  do 
prove  valuable,"  and  Nat  smiled  broadly. 

"  Don't  raise  false  hopes,   Nat.     There  may 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          195 

be  nothing  in  it.  But  there  is  nothing  like  being 
sure." 

"  Is  the  tract  of  land  valuable?  " 

"  Very.  It  is  located  in  the  most  fashionable 
territory  around  Central  Park." 

"  When  do  you  want  me  to  go  home  ?  " 

"  You  can  start  to-morrow  if  you  wish.  There 
is  no  rush  of  business  on  just  at  present.  I 
presume  you  will  be  back  within  four  or  five 
days?" 

"  I'll  come  back  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  Take  your  time.  A  couple  of  days  on  the 
farm  will  do  you  good.  It  will  be  like  a  touch 
of  old  times." 

"  That  is  true,"  answered  Nat. 

The  opportunity  to  go  back  to  the  farm  pleased 
him.  He  packed  his  dress-suit  case  that  night, 
and  left  on  the  ten-o'clock  train  in  the  morning. 
He  was  dressed  in  his  best  and  had  quite  a  city 
air  about  him.  Certainly  he  could  no  longer  be 
called  a  "  greeny." 

Nat  spent  the  night  at  Cleveland,  and  took  the 
train  to  Brookville  in  the  morning.  Almost  the 
first  person  he  met  in  the  town  was  Sam  Price. 

"  Hullo,  are  you  back?  "  cried  the  country  boy, 
shaking  hands. 

"  Back  for  a  few  days,  Sam." 

"  You  look  fine,  Nat." 


196          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  I  feel  fine.     How  are  you  getting  along?  " 

"  Pretty  good.  Life  on  the  farm  is  rather 
slow.  Somebody  told  me  you  were  tired  of  the 
city." 

"  It  isn't  true,  Sam." 

"  Fred  Guff  says  he  wants  to  go  to  the  city, 
too,  but  his  mother  won't  let  him." 

"  I  suppose  Fred  helps  my  uncle  Abner  ?  " 

'  Yes,  but  your  uncle  don't  get  along  with 
him  very  well.  Fred's  too  slow  for  him." 

Sam  had  driven  to  town  with  his  buckboard, 
and  he.  readily  agreed  to  give  Nat  a  ride  over  to 
Abner  Balberry's  farm.  They  were  soon  on  the 
way,  and  less  than  an  hour  brought  them  in  sight 
of  the  place. 

"Some  young  man  is  coming,  ma!"  cried 
Fred,  who  was  sitting  on  the  doorstep,  munching 
an  apple.  "  Sam  Price  is  driving  him." 

"  Wonder  what  he  wants  here?"  said  Mrs. 
Balberry,  shading  her  eyes  with  her  hands. 
"  Mercy  sakes!  It's  Nat!" 

"  Nat !  "  repeated  the  boy.  "  Huh !  if  it's  him 
I  guess  he's  sick  of  the  city.  I  thought  he 
wouldn't  make  a  go  of  it." 

"  Don't  you  be  too  sure  of  that,"  said  the 
mother,  shortly.  "  Nat  has  more  ginger  in  him 
than  you  have." 

By  this  time  Nat  was  at  the  horseblock.     He 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          197 

leaped  off  the  buckboard,  and  advanced  to  greet 
Mrs.  Balberry  and  her  son. 

"  How  do  you  do?"  he  cried,  cheerily. 
"  Aren't  you  surprised  to  see  me?  " 

"  I  certainly  am,"  answered  Mrs.  Balberry,  as 
she  shook  hands.  v 

"  Got  tired  of  the  city,  eh  ?  "  came  from  Fred. 
"  I  knew  it  wouldn't  last." 

"  Do  you  think  you  could  do  anything1  in  the 
tity  ?  "  demanded  our  hero,  sharply. 

"  Of  course  I  could." 

"  It's  hard  work  to  get  along  in  New  York." 

"  I  don't  care — I  wouldn't  make  a  failure  of  it 
if  I  went.  I  guess  you  \vasn't  smart  enough  for 
them  New  Yorkers,"  added  Fred,  maliciously. 

"  What  makes  you  think  that,  Fred?  " 

"  If  it  wasn't  so  you  wouldn't  be  back." 

"  Have  you  given  up  your  place  with  Mr.  Gar- 
well  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Balberry. 

"  No,  I'm  home  on  a  vacation  of  a  couple  of 
days,  that's  all." 

"Oh,  then  you  are  going  back?"  came  from 
Fred,  and  his  face  fell. 

"  Certainly  I  am.  I  have  a  first-class  position, 
with  a  promise  of  advancement,  so  it  would  be 
sheer  foolishness  for  me  to  give  it  up." 

"  Ma  said  you  were  with  a  real  estate  man." 

"  Yes." 


ip8         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 


1  That  can't  pay  much." 

"  It  pays  very  well." 

"How  much?" 

'*  Ten  dollars  a  week,  at  present.  But  I  am 
to  get  more  soon." 

'*  You  don't  mean  to  say  they  pay  you  ten 
dollars  a  week,"  cried  Fred. 

"  That  is  my  regular  salary." 

'  Then  Fm  going-  to  the  city  to-morrow,"  said 
Fred,  decidedly. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE  PAPERS  IN  THE  TRUNK 

NAT  now  asked  for  his  uncle  and  was  told 
that  his  relative  was  at  the  barn.  Placing  his 
dress-suit  case  in  the  house,  he  walked  down  to 
the  barn.  In  the  meantime  Sam  Price  had  driven 
off. 

"  Uncle  Abner,  where  are  you  ?  " 

"  Who's  thet  a-callin'  me  ?  "  came  from  the 
farmer,  as  he  looked  forth  from  one  of  the  horse 
stalls. 

"  I've  come  to  ask  you  for  a  job,"  went  on 
Nat,  lightly. 

"Nat!  How  be  you?"  Abner  came  and 
shook  hands.  "  Want  a  job  ?  Is  it  all  up  in 
New  York?" 

"  No,  uncle,  I  was  only  fooling.  I  came  home 
for  a  vacation  of  a  couple  of  days,  that's 
all." 

"  Well,  you're  welcome,  Nat.  But  'it  must 
cost  money  to  travel  so  far  for  jest  two  days' 
vacation." 

"  I  came  for  another  purpose,  too.  Do  you 
199 


200          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

remember  those  old  papers  in  the  trunk  in  the 
garret?" 

"  Those  thet  belonged  to  your  father  an'  grand- 
father?" 

"  Yes.  Well,  I  am  going  to  look  them  over 
and  see  if  they  are  of  any  value." 

"  Ain't  nuthin'  of  any  use,  Nat.  I  looked 
over  'em  myself,  one  rainy  day  when  I  didn't 
have  nuthin'  else  to  do." 

"  Mr.  Garwell  thinks  some  of  them  might  be 
valuable." 

"  Does  he  know  about  'em  ?  " 

"  He  only  knows  what  I  told  him." 

"  The  old  debts  is  all  outlawed." 

"  But  there  are  other  papers — something  about 
some  land  grandfather  had  an  interest  in." 

"  I  don't  know  nuthin'  about  that.  It's  so  long 
ago,  I  don't  believe  they  are  worth  a  cent." 

"  Well,  it  won't  do  any  harm  to  look  them 
over,  and  show  them  to  Mr.  Garwell,"  returned 
our  hero. 

It  was  approaching  the  noon  hour,  and  in  honor 
of  Nat's  arrival,  Mrs.  Balberry  prepared  an  extra 
good  dinner,  of  which  the  boy  partook  freely.  It 
was  plainly  to  be  seen  that  the  former  widow 
was  the  ruler  of  the  house,  and  that  she  compelled 
Abner  Balberry  to  be  far  more  liberal  than  had 
been  his  habit  in  years  gone  by. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE         201 

"  Have  another  piece  of  pie,  Nat,"  said  the 
lady  of  the  house,  graciously. 

"  Thank  you,  but  I've  had  enough/'  answered 
Nat. 

"  Better  save  what's  left  for  to-morrow/'  sug- 
gested Abner  Balberry. 

"  If  Nat  wants  another  piece,  he  shall  have  it/' 
was  the  lady's  quick  answer. 

"  Oh,  certainly !  certainly !  " 

"  Ma,  I  want  another  piece/'  came  promptly 
from  Fred. 

"  You've  had  two  pieces  already,  Fred." 

"  I  want  another." 

"  Not  to-day." 

"  Just  a  little  piece !  " 

"  Not  another  mouthful !  "  And  Mrs.  Bal- 
berry placed  the  remainder  of  the  pie  in  the  cup- 
board. 

"I  can't  never  have  nothing!"  cried  Fred, 
kicking  the  leg  of  the  table. 

"  You'll  have  a  box  on  the  ears,  Fred  Guff,  if 
you  don't  behave  yourself,"  answered  his  mother, 
and  then  there  was  silence. 

After  dinner,  Nat  talked  with  his  uncle  for  a 
while,  and  then  putting  on  an  old  coat,  went  up 
into  the  dusty  garret,  and  hauled  out  the  old 
trunk.  It  was  strapped,  but  not  locked,  so  he  had 
no  trouble  in  opening  it. 


202         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  "  asked  Fred, 
who  had  followed  him. 

"  Look  over  some  papers,"  answered  our  hero, 
briefly. 

"  Want  me  to  help  you?  " 

"  No." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  the  papers  ?  " 

''  Take  some  of  them  to  the  city  with  me." 

"  Are  they  yours  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Say,  don't  you  think  it  would  be  a  good  plan 
for  me  to  go  to  the  city  and  git  a  job  at  ten  dol- 
lars a  week?  "  went  on  Fred,  sitting  down  on  the 
top  garret  step. 

"  Yes,  if  you  could  get  the  ten-dollar  job." 

"Why  can't  I  git  it?     You  got  it." 

"  I  was  lucky,  that's  all,  Fred.  Before  I  got 
it  I  might  have  starved  to  death." 

"  Huh !  Couldn't  you  git  me  a  job  with  your 
boss?" 

"  I  don't  think  so." 

"  I'm  just  as  smart  as  you  are,  Nat  Nason." 

To  this  our  hero  made  no  reply.  He  had 
brought  out  some  of  the  papers,  and  was  looking 
them  over  with  much  interest. 

"  If  you  don't  want  to  help  me  git  a  job,  I'll 
git  one  on  my  own  hook,"  continued  Fred,  who 
was  as  dull  as  he  considered  himself  bright. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          203 

"  Well,  you  have  a  right  to  do  as  you  please," 
said  Nat.  "  But  please  leave  me  alone  now, 
Fred ;  I  want  to  read  these  very  carefully." 

"  Huh !  I'm  going  to  stay  in  the  garret  as 
long  as  I  please." 

Nat  said  no  more,  and  Fred  began  to  kick  the 
step  upon  which  he  was  sitting.  Then,  he  began 
to  thump  on  the  rafters  of  the  garret,  bringing 
down  some  dirt  on  Nat's  head. 

"  Stop  that,  Fred !  "  cried  our  hero,  sharply. 
"Stop  it,  I  say!" 

"  I  ain't  goin'  to  stop." 

"  If  you  don't  stop,  I'll  put  you  downstairs,  first 
thing  you  know." 

"  You  can't  do  it." 

"  Yes,  I  can." 

"  Do  you  want  to  fight  ?  "  demanded  Fred, 
rising  and  squaring  off. 

"  No,  but  I  want  you  to  leave  me  alone." 

"  I  ain't  touched  you." 

"  No,  but  you  were  knocking  the  dirt  down  on 
me.  Why  can't  you  leave  me  alone?  " 

"  I've  got  as  much  right  in  this  garret  as  you 
have,  that's  why." 

"  You  are  mean." 

"  Don't  you  call  me  mean ! "  blustered  Fred, 
and  coming  closer,  he  hit  Nat  on  the  shoulder. 
At  once  our  hero  hit  back,  and  Fred  received  a 


204         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

thump  in  the  mouth  that  caused  him  to  topple 
backwards. 

"Don't!"  he  screamed.  "  Don't— don't  hit 
me  again." 

"  Now,  are  you  going  to  leave  me  alone?  "  de- 
manded Nat. 

"  I'll  tell  my  ma  on  you." 

"  If  you  do,  I  shall  tell  her  how  you  annoyed 
me,"  answered  Nat. 

"  Come  down  in  the  barnyard  and  I'll  fight 
with  you,"  said  Fred,  but,  as  he  spoke,  he  re- 
treated down  the  stairs. 

"  Don't  be  a  fool,  Fred.  Behave  yourself, 
and  we'll  get  along  all  right,"  said  Nat,  and  then 
Fred  passed  to  the  lower  floor,  banging  the 
stairway  door  after  him.  There  was  a  hook  on 
the  door,  and  this  he  fastened  after  him. 

"  Now,  Nat  can  stay  in  the  garret  till  I  let 
him  out,"  he  muttered  to  himself. 

When  left  to  himself,  Nat  dragged  the  old 
trunk  to  one  of  the  windows  of  the  garret,  and 
then  began  a  systematic  investigation  of  all  the 
papers  the  box  contained.  He  soon  learned  that 
the  majority  of  the  documents  were  of  no  im- 
portance, but  there  were  half  a  dozen  which 
looked  of  possible  value,  and  these  he  placed  in 
his  pocket.  Two  of  the  sheets  referred  directly 
to  the  land  in  New  York  City. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          205 

"  I  hope  these  are  what  Mr.  Garwell  is  looking 
for,"  he  said  to  himself. 

Having  put  the  trunk  back  where  it  belonged, 
Nat  started  to  go  below,  only  to  find  the  door 
hooked  fast  from  the  other  side. 

"  Fred !  "  he  called  out  loudly.  "  Fred,  open 
the  door!" 

"  Ha !  ha !  Nat  Nason,  how  do  you  like  being  a 
prisoner  ?  "  came  from  Fred,  who  had  been  rest- 
ing on  a  bed  in  a  nearby  room. 

"  I  want  you  to  open  the  door." 

"  What  will  you  give  me  if  I  do?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  give  you  if  you  don't !  " 
cried  Nat,  angrily. 

"What?" 

"  A  good  thrashing." 

"  You  can't  do  it." 

"  Are  you  going  to  open  the  door  ?  " 

"  No." 

Fred  had  scarcely  spoken  when  Nat  pressed  on 
the  door,  and  the  hook  flew  from  its  fastening. 
As  the  door  burst  open,  Nat  leaped  from  the 
stairway  and  caught  the  other  boy  by  the  collar. 

"  Now,  then,  that  for  locking  me  in,"  he  cried, 
and  boxed  Fred's  ears  soundly. 

"  Stop !  "  roared  Fred.     "  Stop,  Nat  Nason." 

"  Will   you   behave   yourself   after   this,    and 

leave  me  alone  ?  " 

' 


206          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"Yes!  yes!" 

"  Then,  see  that  you  do,"  went  on  Nat,  and 
flung  the  other  boy  from  him.  Fred  picked  him- 
self up  in  a  hurry,  and  ran  below.  He  vowed  he 
would  get  square,  but  during  Nat's  stay  at  the 
farm  he  could  not  muster  up  courage  to  do  so. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

BACK  TO  THE  CITY 

ON  the  following  day  Nat  arose  at  five 
o'clock,  and  put  on  an  old  suit  of  clothes.  Slip- 
ping downstairs  he  hurried  to  the  barn,  where  he 
fed  the  horses  and  then  milked  the  cows.  He 
was  just  finishing  up  when  his  uncle  appeared. 

"Well,  I  never!"  ejaculated  Abner  Balberry. 
"  Right  back  into  harness  ag'in,  eh?  " 

"  Yes,  Uncle  Abner;  I  thought  I'd  like  a  little 
taste  of  old  times." 

"  You've  done  putty  good  to  get  through  so 
quick,  Nat.  I  wish  Fred  was  such  good  help." 

"Doesn't  he  help  at  all?" 

"  Not  unless  you  drive  him  all  the  time.  His 
mother  gits  after  him,  an'  so  do  I,  but  it  don't 
appear  to  do  no  good." 

"  He  wants  to  go  to  the  city  and  try  his  luck." 

"  Humph !     He'd  starve  to  death." 

"  Perhaps  it  might  teach  him  a  lesson." 

"  Well,  he's  got  to  do  somethin'  putty  soon.  I 
ain't  goin'  to  support  him  if  he  won't  work." 

For  the  balance  of  the  day  Nat  helped  his  uncle 
207 


2o8          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

around  the  farm.  It  was  rather  hard  work,  but 
he  did  not  complain,  and  Abner  was  greatly 
pleased. 

"  Nat,  if  you  git  tired  o'  the  city,  you  come 
back  here,"  said  his  uncle,  on  parting.  "  Re- 
member, I'll  make  it  right  with  you." 

"  I'll  remember,  Uncle  Abner,"  responded 
Nat. 

"  Somehow,  I  guess  I  didn't  use  to  understand 
you.  You're  a  putty  good  boy  after  all." 

"  It's  kind  to  say  so." 

"  An'  it  wasn't  right  f er  me  to  say  you  sot  the 
barn  afire,"  added  Abner,  earnestly. 
»    "  We'll    let   bygones    be   bygones,"    answered 
Nat,  and  then  he  shook  hands  with  his  uncle. 

When  Nat  started  back  for  New  York,  his 
Uncle  Abner  drove  him  to  the  railroad  station  at 
Brookville.  Fred  wanted  to  go  for  the  ride,  but 
his  mother  told  him  he  must  stay  at  the  farm. 

"  You  go  and  cut  the  wood,"  said  she,  sharply. 
"  If  you  don't  you'll  get  no  supper  to-night." 

"  I  ain't  goin'  to  cut  no  wood,"  growled  Fred. 

'  Yes,  you  are — and  do  it  right  now,  too." 

"  Hang  the  wood,"  muttered  Fred,  savagely. 
"  I  ain't  going  to  stay  on  the  farm.  I'm  going 
to  New  York,  same  as  Nat." 

At  the  depot  Nat  and  his  uncle  parted  on  the 
best  of  terms. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          209 

"  If  you  kin  git  off  at  Christmas,  come  an' 
see  us,"  said  Abner  Balberry.  "  We'll  have 
a  good  fat  turkey  for  dinner,  with  all  the 
fixin's." 

"  Thank  you  very  much,"  said  Nat.  "  Per- 
haps I'll  come — if  I  can  get  away." 

The  run  to  Cleveland  was  quickly  made,  and 
here  our  hero  found  that  he  would  have  an  hour 
to  wait  before  the  arrival  of  the  train  for  New 
York.  As  his  dress-suit  case  had  been  checked, 
he  felt  at  liberty  to  walk  around,  to  see  the 
sights. 

"  How  different  matters  are  from  when  I  first 
struck  this  city,"  he  thought,  as  he  walked  along 
one  of  the  streets.  '  Then  I  was  a  real  greeny, 
but  I  didn't  know  it." 

Nat  was  returning  to  the  railroad  station  when 
he  suddenly  heard  his  name  called,  and  turning, 
found  himself  confronted  by  Paul  Hampton. 

"  Oh,  how  do  you  do,  Mr.  Hampton  ? "  he 
cried,  and  shook  hands.  "  I  am  real  glad  to  see 
you." 

"And  I  am  glad  to  see  you,"  answered  the 
young  man.  "  But  how  comes  it  you  are  in  Cleve- 
land. I  thought  you  were  in  New  York." 

"  I've  been  back  to  the  farm  for  a  couple  of 
days — on  business  and  pleasure  combined.  Aren't 
you  in  Buffalo  and  Niagara  Falls  any  more?  " 


210         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Oh,  yes,  a  law  case  brought  me  here.  How 
are  you  doing?  " 

"  Very  well  indeed/' 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it." 

"  You  were  awfully  good  to  give  me  that  hun- 
dred dollars,"  continued  Nat,  earnestly,  "  I  never 
expected  it." 

"  I  hope  it  did  you  lots  of  good,  Nat." 

"  It  did  and  it  didn't." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"  The  money  was  stolen  from  me — or  rather 
I  was  swindled  out  of  it.  That  opened  my  eyes 
to  the  fact  that  I  was  not  as  smart  as  I  had 
imagined  myself  to  be."  And  then  our  hero  re- 
lated the  experience  he  had  had  with  Nick  Smith- 
ers,  alias  Hamilton  Dart. 

"  That  was  too  bad,"  said  Paul  Hampton.  "  I 
trust  you  locate  this  Smithers  some  day." 

"  So  do  I." 

"What  are  you  doing?" 

"  I  am  with  a  real  estate  broker.  I  am  learn- 
ing shorthand  and  typewriting,  and  I  am  to  be- 
come his  private  secretary." 

"  Then  you  are  on  the  right  road,  and  I  con- 
gratulate you.  The  real  estate  business  is  an  ex- 
cellent one,  especially  in  a  large  city  like  New 
York." 

Paul  Hampton  walked  to  the  depot  with  Nat 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          211 

and  saw  him  on  the  cars.  Soon  our  hero  was  off. 
The  trip  back  to  the  metropolis  was  made  with- 
out anything  out  of  the  ordinary  happening. 

"  So  you  are  back,"  said  Johr^  Garwell,  when 
our  hero  presented  himself  at  the  office.  "  I  hope 
you  enjoyed  the  trip." 

"  I  did,  very  much,  Mr.  Garwell." 

"  How  did  your  uncle  treat  you  ?  " 

"  Finely,  sir." 

"  Did  you  find  any  papers  of  value?  "  went  on 
the  real  estate  broker. 

"  I  found  half  a  dozen  which  I  wish  you  would 
look  over."  And  Nat  brought  forth  the  docu- 
ments. 

"  I  am  anxious  to  close  that  real  estate  deal," 
went  on  John  Garwell.  "  Others  are  getting 
wind  of  it,  including  that  fellow  Shanley  from 
Brooklyn.  He  is  doing  his  best  to  make  me  lose 
on  the  deal." 

"  Is  Ruf  us  Cameron  in  with  him  ?  " 

"  I  believe  he  is.    Both  of  them  are  very  bitter." 

"  I  suppose  they  are  bitter  against  me  too/' 
observed  Nat  soberly. 

"It  is  more  than  likely.  But  that  can't  be 
helped,  Nat.  In  business  a  man  is  bound  to  make 
more  or  less  of  enemies." 

John  Garwell  was  very  busy,  and  said  he  would 
look  over  the  documents  the  next  day.  But  on 


212         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

the  following  morning  he  was  called  out  of  town, 
so  the  documents  were  not  examined  until  some 
days  later. 

As  soon  as  he  returned  to  the  office,  Nat  went 
to  work  with  vigor  for  over  a  week,  to  make  up 
for  the  lost  time.  He  had  a  great  deal  of  writing 
on  hand,  and  one  evening  he  remained  at  the 
place  until  after  nine  o'clock. 

As  Nat  had  been  indoors  nearly  all  day,  he 
resolved  to  walk  home,  just  for  the  physical  exer- 
cise and  to  get  the  fresh  air.  He  started  up 
Broadway,  and  was  soon  as  far  as  Tenth  Street. 
Here  he  attempted  to  cross  the  thoroughfare,  but 
was  stopped  by  a  jam  of  cars  and  other  vehicles. 

"  Let  me  alone !  "  he  heard  a  boy  not  far  off 
say.  "  Let  me  alone !  I  won't  give  you  my 
money !  " 

'  You've  got  to  pay  for  the  papers,  country !  " 
cried  another  boy.  "  Come,  fork  over  the  fifteen 
cents." 

"  It's  all  I've  got." 

"  I  don't  care.  Fork  over,  or  I'll — I'll  mash 
you!" 

The  voice  of  one  of  the  boys  sounded  familiar, 
and  stepping  to  a  dark  doorway,  from  whence 
the  voices  proceeded,  Nat  was  amazed  to  find 
Fred  Guff,  and  a  New  York  newsboy  who  was  a 
stranger. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          213 

"Fred!" 

"Why,  if  it  ain't  Nat!"  cried  the  farm  boy. 
"  Where  did  you  spring  from?  " 

"  I  think  I  had  better  ask  you  that  question." 
"  I  want  me  money!  "  came  from  the  newsboy. 
"  Help  me,  Nat.    He  wants  to  get  my  money 
from  me.     It's  the  last  fifteen  cents  I've  got!" 
pleaded  Fred. 

"What   do   you   want   of   the  money?"   de- 
manded Nat,  of  the  newsboy. 

"  Oh,  it  ain't  none  o'  your  business." 
"  I  tried  to  help  him  sell  papers,"  said  Fred. 
"  But  I  couldn't  sell  those  he  gave  me,  and  now 
he  wants  me  to  pay  for  them,  anyway." 
"  Did  you  agree  to  pay  for  them?  " 
"  I  said  I'd  pay  for  them  if  I  sold  them." 
"  Then  you  don't  get  any  money,"  said  Nat, 
sharply,   to  the  newsboy.      "  Now   let   this  boy 
alone,  do  you  hear?  " 

"Ah!  wait  till  I  catch  him  alone,"  muttered 
the  newsboy,  and  ran  off  around  the  corner. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

FRED  GIVES  UP  CITY  LIFE 

"  Now  then,  Fred,  tell  me  how  it  is  that  you 
are  in  New  York,"  said  Nat,  when  the  newsboy 
had  departed. 

"  I — I  ran  away  from  home.55 

"Did  you  have  the  carfare  to  this  city  ?  " 

"  No,  I  stole  a  ride  to  Cleveland  on  a  freight 
train,  and  then  I  stole  another  ride  on  two  trains 
to  New  York.  I  was  kicked  off  of  one  train." 

"  And  what  have  you  been  doing  since  you 
landed  here?" 

"  Selling  papers,  and  doing  odd  jobs.  I  couldn't 
get  anything  steady." 

"  Did  you  try  to  find  me?  " 

"  No,"  and  the  gawk  of  a  bey  hung  his  head. 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because  I — I  wanted  to  make  my  own  way, 
same  as  you  are  doing.  But,  oh,  Nat,  it's  awfully 
hard." 

"  Where  have  you  been  staying  nights  ?  " 

"  One  night  I  slept  in  a  doorway,  and  last  night 
214 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          215 

I  slept  in  a  park  until  a  policeman  came  and 
chased  me  away." 

Fred  looked  so  forlorn  and  hungry  that  Nat 
could  not  help  but  pity  him.  Coming  to  the 
city  to  earn  his  living  had  evidently  hit  Fred 
hard. 

"  Had  any  supper  ?  "  he  asked,  kindly. 

"  I  had  a— a  bun." 

"Is  that  all?" 

"  Yes." 

"How  much  money  have  you?" 

"  Fifteen  cents,  and  I  wanted  to  make  that  last 
just  as  long  as  I  could." 

"  Come  with  me,  and  I'll  get  you  something  to 
eat,"  said  our  hero. 

Fred  was  willing  enough,  and  seated  at  a  table 
in  a  restaurant  he  fairly  devoured  the  beef  and 
beans,  bread  and  coffee  set  before  him. 

"  Have  a  piece  of  lemon  pie  ?  "  asked  Nat. 

"Can  you  afford  it,   Nat?" 

"  I  guess  so,"  and  our  hero  ordered  the  pie, 
and  also  ate  a  piece,  and  drank  a  glass  of  milk, 
to  keep  Fred  company. 

"  It  costs  a  terrible  pile  to  live  in  the  city," 
sighed  Fred.  "  You've  got  to  pay  for  every- 
thing. When  I  landed,  a  man  made  me  pay  ten 
cents  for  crossing  a  torn-up  street." 

"  He  swindled  you,  Fred." 


216         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Maybe  he  did.  I  know  he  ran  off  as  soon  as 
he  got  the  money." 

"  Where  were  you  going  to  stop  to-night?  " 

"  I— I  don't  know." 

;<  You  had  better  come  with  me." 

"  I — I  can't  pay  for  regular  lodging,"  and 
again  the  boy  from  the  farm  hung  his  head. 

"  Well,  I'll  do  the  paying." 

"  Will  you?  "  Fred's  face  brightened.  "  Say, 
Nat,  you're  real  good!  I'm  sorry  I  treated  you 
so  meanly  when  you  paid  us  a  visit." 

"  We'll  -let  that  pass.  Now,  you  are  here,  the 
question  is,  what  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  Can't  I  find  a  job  ?  I'm  willing  to  do  any- 
thing." 

"  We'll  see  about  that." 

They  walked  to  Mrs.  Talcott's  place,  and  here 
Nat  explained  the  situation,  and  Fred  was  placed 
in  a  room  that  chanced  to  be  vacant.  He  was 
exceedingly  tired  and  dropped  to  sleep  almost  in- 
stantly. 

"  I'm  going  to  telegraph  to  Brookville  that  you 
are  here  and  safe,"  said  Nat,  the  next  morning. 
"  I  don't  want  your  mother  to  worry  about  you." 
And  the  telegram  was  sent  off  before  our  hero 
went  to  the  office.  Nat  gave  Fred  a  dollar,  and 
told  him  to  try  his  best  that  day  to  find  something 
to  do. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          217 

"  I'll  get  something,"  said  Fred,  but  that  night 
he  came  back  greatly  disheartened. 

"  I  couldn't  get  a  thing,"  he  declared.  "  I 
tried  about  fifty  places.  In  one  place  a  man 
kicked  me  out,  and  in  another  place  a  lot  of 
boys  called  me  '  Hayseed,'  and  threw  lumps 
of  dirt  at  me.  I — I  guess  I'll  go  back  to  the 
farm." 

"  Don't  you  want  to  try  it  for  another  day?  " 
asked  Nat.  "  I'll  pay  your  way."  He  knew  the 
experience  would  do  Fred  good.  The  boy  from 
the  country  consented;  but  at  night  he  returned 
more  discouraged  than  ever. 

"  I  was  a  big  fool  to  leave  the  farm,"  he  sighed. 
"  The  city  is  no  place  for  me.  The  noise  makes 
my  head  ache,  and  I  get  lost  every  time  I  turn  a 
corner.  I  wish  I  was  back  to  Brookville." 

"  Very  well,  you  shall  start  back  to-morrow," 
answered  Nat. 

"  But  I  ain't  got  the  carfare,  and  I  hate  to  try 
riding  on  the  freight  cars  again." 

"  I'll  get  you  a  railroad  ticket,"  answered  Nat, 
and  he  did  so,  and  also  gave  Fred  some  change 
for  his  meals.  Fred  was  more  than  thankful,  and 
actually  cried  on  parting. 

"  You're  the  best  boy  in  the  world,  Nat,"  he 
sobbed.  "  The  very  best !  Just  wait  till  you 
come  back  to  the  farm !  I'll  show  you  how  I  can 


218         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

treat  you ! "  And  then  he  was  oft  for  home,  a 
sadder  but  a  wiser  youth. 

"  To  go  back  to  the  farm  was  the  best  thing 
that  fellow  could  do,"  was  Dick's  comment. 
"  Why,  he  wouldn't  amount  to  shucks  here,  even 
if  he  stayed  a  year." 

"  We  can't  all  be  city  folks/'  said  Mrs.  Tal- 
cott.  "  Some  men  must  remain  farmers." 

"  The  trouble  with  Fred  is,  he  doesn't  like  to 
work,"  said  Nat.  "  But  this  may  teach  him  a 
lesson." 

On  the  day  that  Fred  left,  Nat  was  called  to 
the  office  by  John  Garwell. 

"  Nat,  I  want  you  to  go  to  Springfield,  Massa- 
chusetts, immediately,"  said  the  real  estate  broker. 
"  See  when  you  can  catch  a  train." 

"  A  train  leaves  the  Grand  Central  Depot 
at  eleven-thirty,"  was  our  hero's  answer,  after 
consulting  a  time-table. 

"  Then  you  have  plenty  of  time.  Take  this 
document  and  turn  it  over  to  Mr.  Perry  Robert- 
son." 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Don't  give  it  to  anybody  else." 

"  Shall  I  wait  for  Mr.  Robertson,  if  he  isn't  in 
when  I  call?" 

"  Yes/' 

"  All  right,  sir." 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          219 

No  more  was  said,  and  Nat  prepared  for  the 
trip  without  further  delay.  He  wished  to  ask 
his  employer  about  the  documents  found  in  the 
trunk,  but  saw  that  Mr.  Garwell  was  too  busy  to 
be  interrupted. 

Nat  was  getting  used  to  taking  short  trips  to 
various  cities,  so  the  ride  to  Springfield  was  no 
great  novelty.  He  put  in  part  of  his  time  at 
reading  a  newspaper,  and  the  balance  at  study- 
ing shorthand  from  a  book  which  he  carried  with 
him. 

Arriving  at  Springfield,  Nat  found  he  would 
have  to  wait  until  evening  before  he  could  see 
Mr.  Perry  Robertson.  This  made  him  stay  in  the 
city  overnight,  and  he  did  not  arrange  to  go  back 
to  New  York  until  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning. 

He  had  just  paid  his  bill  at  the  hotel,  and  was 
passing  the  smoking  room,  when  he  saw  a  man 
who  looked  familiar,  get  up  from  reading  a  news- 
paper, and  walk  toward  him. 

"  Hamilton  Dart !  "  gasped  our  hero,  and  rush- 
ing forward  he  caught  the  swindler  by  the  arm. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

A  SCENE    AT  THE   HOTEL 

THE  fellow  who  had  posed  as  a  broker  and 
commission  merchant  was  taken  completely  by 
surprise  when  confronted  by  Nat,  and  for  the 
moment  did  not  know  what  to  say. 

"  I  guess  you  didn't  expect  to  see  me  again," 
said  our  hero,  after  a  pause,  during  which  Nick 
Smithers — to  use  his  real  name — glared  fiercely 
at  the  youth. 

"  Excuse  me,  boy,  but  I  don't  know  you !  "  said 
the  swindler,  at  last.  "  You  have  made  a  strange 
mistake." 

"  Oh,  no,  I  haven't,"  answered  Nat.  "  You  are 
Hamilton  Dart,  alias  Nick  Smithers." 

"  My  dear  young  friend  you  are  in  error.  My 
name  is  Josiah  Garfield,  and  I  am  from  Concord, 
Massachusetts." 

"  I  am  not  mistaken.  You  are  Nick  Smithers, 
and  you  are  the  rascal  who  swindled  me  in  New 
York  City." 

"  Boy,  you  must  be  mad !  "  burst  out   Nick 

220 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          221 

Smithers,  in  assumed  indignation.  "la  swin- 
dler !  Preposterous !  " 

"  It's  the  plain  truth,  and  there  is  no  use  of 
your  denying  it." 

By  this  time  a  small  crowd  was  gathering 
around.  Soon  a  clerk  of  the  hotel  came  up  has- 
tily. 

"What's  the  trouble  here?"  he  questioned, 
anxiously. 

"  This  boy  is  crazy,"  said  Nick  Smithers. 

"  No,  I  am  not.  This  man  is  a  swindler,  and 
I  want  him  arrested,"  came  from  Nat.  He  made 
up  his  mind,  come  what  might,  he  would  stand 
up  for  his  rights. 

"  I  am  an  honest  man — well-known  in  Con- 
cord, where  I  keep  a  jewelry  establishment," 
puffed  Nick  Smithers.  "  This  is  an  insult  to  me." 
He  turned  to  the  hotel  clerk.  "  I  shall  hold  your 
hotel  responsible  for  this." 

"  I — this  looks  as  if  you  were  making  a  mis- 
take," said  the  clerk  to  Nat.  '  This  gentleman 
has  been  stopping  here  for  over  a  week.  He  is 
registered  on  our  book  as  Josiah  Garfield." 

"  He  has  half  a  dozen  names,"  said  Nat.  "  I 
tell  you  he  is  a  swindler." 

"  And  I  say  the  boy  is  crazy.  Boy,  if  you  say 
another  word,  I'll  have  you  locked  up." 

Nick  Smithers  thought  Nat  was  so  green  that 


222         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

he  would  back  down,  but  for  once  lie  made  a  mis- 
take. 

"  Call  a  policeman,  please,"  he  said  to  the 
clerk.  "  We  can  talk  this  over  when  we  get  to 
the  police  headquarters." 

"  Are  you  sure  of  what  you  are  doing?  "  asked 
the  clerk. 

'  Yes,  I  am  sure  of  it.  I  can  prove  beyond  any 
doubt  whatever  that  this  fellow  is  a  confidence 
man  and  a  swindler.  He  swindled  me  out  of  a 
hundred  dollars  In  New  York,  and  lie  swindled 
several  others  out  of  the  same  amount.  Just 
help  nle  to  lock  him  up  and  I'll  get  all  the  wit- 
nesses necessary." 

"  That's  straight  talk,"  came  from  a  commer- 
cial traveler  standing  nearby.  "  If  the  boy  can 
prove  what  he  says  this  man  ought  to  be  arrested 
by  all  means." 

"  He  can't  prove  a  thing,"  answered  Nick 
Smithers,  but  he  began  to  grow  hot  and  cold, 
for  he  realized  that  Nat  meant  business  and 
was  not  to  be  overawed  as  easily  as  he  had 
imagined. 

"  I'll  call  a  cop !  "  piped  in  a  newsboy  who  had 
drifted  into  the  room.  "  I  see  orte  oh  de  corner  a 
minit  ago,"  and  away  he  ran  to  execute  his 
errand. 

"The  police  will  have  to  settle  this,"  said  the 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          223 

hotel  clerk.  "If  you  are  making  a  mistake  it 
will  cost  you  dear,"  he  added,  to  Nat. 

"  I  am  making  no  mistake,"  answered  our 
hero,  firmly. 

This  reply  set  Nick  Smithers  to  thinking.  To 
try  to  bluff  Nat  was  one  thing;  to  prove  his  in- 
nocence at  the  police  station  might  be  quite  an- 
other. 

"  I  can't  bother  to  go  to  the  station — I've  got  to 
get  a  train  for  Boston !  "  he  cried,  and  ran  from 
the  room  with  all  of  his  speed. 

"  Stop  him !  "  yelled  Nat,  and  began  to  give 
chase.  "Stop  him!" 

The  cry  was  taken  up  by  several  others,  and 
all  began  to  run  after  Nick  Smithers. 

"  Keep  my  valise — I'll  catch  him  if  I  can !  " 
said  Nat,  to  the  hotel  clerk,  and  off  he  sped,  and 
was  soon  ahead  of  the  others  who  had  joined  in 
the  chase. 

If  there  was  one  thing  that  Nick  Smithers 
could  do  well,  it  was  to  run,  and  now  he  made 
the  best  possible  use  of  his  rather  long  legs.  He 
darted  out  of  a  side  door  of  the  hotel,  down  the 
square,  and  around  a  corner  leading  into  a  back 
street  lined  with  small  shops  and  dwellings. 

"  The  young  fool ! "  he  muttered,  as  he  sped 
along.  "  Who  would  have  dreamed  of  his  turning 
up  in  such  a  place  as  this  ?  " 


224          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

At  last  the  swindler  turned  into  another  street. 
A  car  was  passing  and  he  hopped  aboard  this. 
Not  to  be  seen,  he  dropped  into  a  seat  and 
crouched  down.  He  rode  on  the  car  a  distance 
of  a  dozen  squares  and  then  left,  and  hurried  to 
a  small  house  setting  far  back,  in  a  rather  ne- 
glected garden.  The  house  was  to  let,  and  he 
pretended  to  be  looking  it  over,  and  thus  passed  to 
a  back  porch  and  out  of  sight. 

Nat  continued  the  hunt  for  the  swindler  for  a 
good  hour  and  then  gave  it  up. 

"Well,  how  did  you  make  out?"  asked  the 
hotel  clerk,  upon  his  return. 

"  He  got  away  from  me." 

"  He  put  on  a  pretty  good  front,  if  he  was  a 
swindler." 

"  Yes — that's  how  he  came  to  swindle  me  and 
several  others,"  answered  our  hero. 

"  Did  you  report  the  case  to  the  police  ?  " 

"  There  is  no  use  of  doing  that." 

"  Why  not?    They'll  help  you  all  they  can." 

"  That  may  be  true.  But  by  the  time  my  report 
is  in,  that  rascal  will  be  miles  and  miles  away." 

Nevertheless,  Nat  was  persuaded  to  report  to 
the  city  authorities  before  he  went  to  the  rail- 
road station.  He  had  missed  his  train  and  so  had 
to  lay  over  until  three  hours  later. 

This  was  fortunate  for  him,  for  a  little  later 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          225 

came  a  telegram  from  John  Garwell,  which  ran 
as  follows : 

"  Go  to  Albany  at  once  and  get  papers  from 
Caswick  &  Sampson." 

This  made  Nat  change  his  plans,  and  he  at  once 
found  out  when  a  train  could  be  had  for  Albany. 
Half  an  hour  later  he  was  aboard  of  the  cars, 
little  dreaming  of  the  surprise  in  store  for  him. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

A  SUDDEN  PROPOSAL 

AFTER  the  excitement  of  the  chase  was  at  aft 
end,  Nick  Smithers  had  a  chance  to  think  matters 
over,  and  he  concluded  to  get  out  of  Springfield 
without  delay. 

He  was  much  upset  because  of  Nat's  unex- 
pected appearance,  and  the  fact  that  his  satchel 
and  belongings  were  still  at  the  hotel  did  not 
tend  to  add  to  his  good  humor. 

"  I  can't  go  for  those  things,  or  send  for  them," 
he  reasoned.  "  Confound  that  boy !  Who  would 
ever  have  dreamed  that  he  would  make  such 
trouble  for  me  ?  I  took  him  for  a  regular  country 
greeny.  But  he's  as  sharp  as  a  razor !  " 

For  a  long  time  matters  had  been  going  illy 
with  Nicholas  Smithers,  alias  Hamilton  Dart, 
alias  half  a  dozen  other  names.  He  had  tried 
to  work  one  of  his  swindling  schemes  in  Spring- 
field, but  nobody  had  taken  his  bait,  and  his  ready 
funds  were  consequently  running  low.  When  he 
had  money  he  lived  extravagantly,  so  that  his 
226 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          227 

ill-gotten  gains  never  lasted  him  any  great  length 
of  time. 

"  Something  must  be  done,  and  that  pretty 
soon,"  he  reasoned.  "  Wonder  where  I  had  best 
go  next?  " 

Before  going  to  Springfield  he  had  had  in  mind 
to  try  Albany,  and  now  he  resolved  to  go  to  the 
latter-named  city  by  the  first  train.  This  train 
was  the  very  one  upon  which  Nat  was  riding, 
but  the  swindler  did  not  immediately  discover 
this. 

Some  miles  out  of  Springfield  the  train  stopped 
at  a  small  station.  The  only  person  in  waiting 
was  a  young  lady  handsomely  dressed,  who  did 
not  appear  to  have  any  baggage.  She  got  in,  and 
as  chance  would  have  it,  took  a  seat  close  to  the 
swindler. 

Nick  Smithers  had  always  interested  himself 
in  those  around  him,  and  he  looked  the  young 
lady  over  carefully.  She  was  certainly  beau- 
tiful, and  she  appeared  to  be  rich. 

"  Traveling  all  alone,  eh?  "  mused  the  swindler. 
"  And  no  doubt  she  has  money.  Wonder  if  I 
could  get  anything  out  of  her  ?  " 

He  watched  his  chance,  dnd  when  she  happened 
to  drop  'her  handkerchief,  he  promptly  picked  it 
up. 

"  Charming  day/'  said  he,  with  a  smile. 


228          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  It  is  indeed  beautiful/'  said  the  young  lady, 
turning  her  dark,  brilliant  eyes  full  upon  the 
rascal. 

"  Do  you  enjoy  riding  in  the  cars  ?  "  he  went 
on,  with  another  smile. 

"I?  Well— I— I— What  will  you  say  to  me 
when  I  tell  you  that  now,  for  the  first  time,  I 
find  myself  in  the  cars  ?  " 

"  For  the  first  time?  "  repeated  Nick  Smithers, 
in  astonishment. 

"  It  is  even  so,"  said  the  young  lady.  "  I  do 
not  wonder  that  you  are  surprised.  I — I  pre- 
sume there  are  few  cases  like  mine."  And  she 
heaved  a  long  sigh. 

"  Here  is  certainly  a  mystery !  "  thought  the 
confidence  man.  "  Can  she  have  lived  all  her 
life  in  the  backwoods,  or  what?  I  must  investi- 
gate this." 

'  You  are  surprised  ?  "  she  said,  softly. 

"  I  must  confess  that  I  am,  madam.  Perhaps 
you  have  a  dislike  to  cars  ?  " 

"  No,  not  in  the  least." 

'  Then "    And  Nick  Smithers  paused  ques- 

tioningly. 

"I— I— perhaps  I  had  better  tell  my  story," 
faltered  the  young  lady.  "  I  need  a  confidant,  and 
I  need  advice.  Can  I  trust  you,  sir  ?  " 

"  You  assuredly  can,"  said  the  swindler,  in- 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          229 

stantly.  "  If  I  can  be  of  any  service  whatever  to 
you,  command  me/' 

The  young  lady  glanced  around  shyly,  to  see 
that  no  other  passengers  were  near. 

"  I  presume  I  shall  have  to  tell  my  whole 
story,"  went  on  the  young  lady.  "  It  is  rather 
long." 

"  Never  mind — we  have  plenty  of  time,"  an- 
swered Nick  Smithers. 

"  My  father  died  when  I,  his  only  child,  was 
very  young.  My  mother  was  already  dead.  My 
father  left  a  large  fortune,  estimated  at  that  time, 
at  about  a  hundred  thousand  dollars." 

"  That's  some  money,"  thought  the  swindler. 
"  I  hope  she  has  some  of  it  with  her." 

"  Of  course,  it  was  necessary  to  leave  me  in 
charge  of  someone.  For  this  trust  my  father's 
brother  was  selected.  He  was  poor,  never  hav- 
ing met  with  the  worldly  success  that  crowned  my 
father's  efforts.  The  allowance  he  received  for 
caring  for  me  and  my  inheritance  was  liberal. 
Shortly  after  my  father  died  my  uncle  moved  to 
the  town  where  I  boarded  the  train,  living  in  a 
house  which  was  a  part  of  my  father's  estate." 

"  I  understand,"  said  the  swindler,  nodding. 
"  Go  on." 

"  According  to  the  terms  of  my  father's  will  my 
uncle  was  to  have  sole  charge  of  my  property 


230         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

until  I  was  twenty-five,  unless  I  should  before 
that  time  get — get  married."  The  young  lady 
blushed.  "  It  was  a  stupid  provision  in  one  way, 
for  it  made  my  uncle  take  me  to  that  ou>of-the- 
way  place,  and  practically  keep  me  buried  alive, 
for  fear  I  would  get  married  before  I  was  twenty- 
five." 

"  He  wanted  to  hang*  on  to  a  good  thing,"  said 
Nick  Smithers,  with  a  laugh.  "  But  please  pro- 
ceed." 

"  At  first  I  did  not  understand  my  uncle's  mo- 
tive, but  as  I  grew  older  my  eyes  were  opened, 
and  at  last  I  resolved  to — to — well,  to  get  out  of 
his  power." 

"  And  so  you  ran  away,  is  that  it  ?  " 
:'  Yes.  This  morning  I  succeeded  in  eluding 
my  uncle's  vigil,  and  here  I  am.  I  came  away  in 
such  a  hurry  that  I  brought  with  me  no  extra 
baggage.  No  doubt  you  were  surprised  to  see  me 
enter  without  so  much  as  an  extra  wrap." 

"  I  thought  you  might  be  going  only  a  short 
distance." 

"  I  scarcely  know  where  I  am  going." 
f  Then  you  have  formed  no  plans?  " 
"  None  whatever.    I  have  not  had  time,  and  I 
know  so  little  of  the  world.    All  I  care  for  now  is, 
not  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  my  uncle  until — 
until » 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          231 

"  You  are  twenty-five  or  married,"  finished  the 
swindler. 

"  Exactly." 

"  May  I  presume  to  ask  you  your  present 
age?" 

"  Yesterday  I  was  twenty-one." 

"  Then,  legally,  you  ought  to  be  your  own  mis- 
tress." 

"  So  I  thought.  That  is  one  thing  which  gave 
me  the  courage  to  run  away." 

There  was  a  short  spell  of  silence,  during  which 
Nick  Smithers  did  some  rapid  thinking.  He  felt 
that  here  was  a  chance  to  make  a  round  sum  of 
money.  If  this  young  lady  was  rich,  it  would 
be  a  stroke  of  luck  to  get  her  in  his  power. 

So  far  the  swindler  had  never  married.  He 
had  once  proposed  to  a  fine  girl,  but  she  had  read 
him  thoroughly,  and  rejected  him.  It  might  not 
be  a  bad  scheme  to  propose  to  the  girl  before 
him.  He  could  see  that  she  was  very  romantic, 
and  he  was  willing  to  do  almost  anything  for 
money. 

"  I  feel  honored  that  you  have  taken  me  into 
your  confidence,"  said  he.  "  Permit  me  to  intro- 
duce myself,  Lancelot  Powers,  from  Boston.  I 
am  traveling  for  my  health." 

"  I  am  pleased  to  know  you,  Mr.  Powers.  My 
name  is  Clara  Rosemead,  and  my  father  was 


232          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

Colonel  Rosemead,  of  the  International  Cable 
Company." 

"  I  shall  consider  it  my  duty  to  do  all  I  can  for 
you,"  went  on  Nick  Smithers.  "  You — you — 
well,  to  tell  the  strict  truth,  you  interest  me 
mightily.  In  fact,  Miss  Rosemead,  I  can't  help 
but  love  you." 

"  Oh !  " 

"  I  trust  that  you  are  not  offended  ?  "  said  the 
swindler,  hastily. 

"  Oh,  no,  Mr.  Powers.  But — I  didn't  quite 
expect  this.  But  I — I  well,  I  like  you,  too." 
And  again  the  girl  bent  her  dark  brilliant  eyes 
on  him. 

"  If  you'd  marry  me  you'd  make  me  the  hap- 
piest man  in  America !  "  went  on  Nick  Smithers. 
"  It  would  be  so  romantic ! "  he  whispered. 
*  Think  of  how  we  met  on  the  cars,  and  fell  in 
love  at  sight !  " 

"  It  would  be  romantic !  "  she  clasped  her  hands 
together.  "  I'll  do  it !  " 

"  Good !  It  will  be  a  fine  thing  to  outwit  this 
uncle  of  yours." 

'  Yes !  yes !  We  must  outwit  him  by  all 
means.  If  he  should  learn  of  what  I  am 
doing " 

"  He  can  learn  the  truth — after  we  are  mar- 
ried, Clara."  And  then  Nick  Smithers  gave  the 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          233 

girl's  hand  a  tight  squeeze.  Had  they  been  in  a 
more  secluded  place  he  would  have  kissed  her. 

"  I — I — am  happy !  "  she  said,  softly. 

"  What  do  you  say  to  getting  married  when  we 
reach  Albany  ?  "  went  on  the  swindler.  "  Then 
we  can  return  to  your  home  and  demand  that  your 
uncle  make  a  settlement." 

"  I  shall  do  as  you  think  best,  Lancelot.  I 
know  I  can  trust  you,"  she  answered. 

"  This  is  the  sofest  snap  yet !  "  thought  Nick 
Smithers.  "  Once  I  get  hold  of  her  money  I 
can  hold  her  right  under  my  thumb.  She  has 
been  kept  in  such  seclusion  that  she  knows  abso- 
lutely nothing  of  the  world  at  large.  And  such  a 
beauty,  too!  Nick,  for  once  you  have  certainly^ 
struck  it  rich !  " 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

THE  CAPTURE  OF  NICK  SMITHERS 

DURING  the  next  half-hour  Nick  Smithers 
and  the  young  lady  became  very  confidential.  She 
stated  that  she  had  just  fifty  dollars  with  her, 
but  did  not  show  the  money. 

"  My  uncle  is  a  strange  man  in  some  things," 
she  said.  "  He  keeps  not  less  than  ten  thousand 
dollars  of  my  money  in  the  house,  and  all  in  dollar 
bills!" 

"  He  certainly  must  be  strange/'  said  Nick 
Smithers.  "  Well,  it  will  be  an  easy  matter  for 
him  to  turn  over  the  bills  to  you." 

'  Yes,  Lancelot ;  but  you  will  have  to  take  care 
of  the  money  for  me/' 

"  I'll  certainly  do  that,"  was  the  swindler's 
quick  reply,  and  then  he  smiled  to  himself,  over 
the  glorious  prospect  ahead.  * 

There  was  a  dining  car  attached  to  the  train, 
and   not   long   after  the   conversation   recorded 
above,  the  swindler  asked  his  bride-to-be  if  she 
would  not  take  lunch  with  him. 
234 


FROM  FAkM  TO  FORTUNE          235 

"  Why,  yes,"  she  answered.  "  I  am  very 
hungry,,  for  I  have  not  eaten  anything  since  yes- 
terday." 

"  Then  come  at  once,"  was  the  answer,  and 
Nick  Smithers  led  the  way  into  the  dining  car. 
He  passed  Nat,  who  was  busy  devouring  a  sand- 
wich and  a  piece  of  pie,  but  strange  to  say  neither 
saw  the  other. 

Nick  Smithers  and  the  young  lady  had  just 
ordered  an  elaborate  lunch,  when  of  a  sudden  the 
damsel  gave  a  cry. 

"  Oh !  " 

"What  is  the  trouble?"  questioned  the 
swindler. 

"Do  you  see  that  man?"  And  the  young1 
lady  pointed  to  a  small  individual  who  had  just 
entered  the  dining*  car. 

"Yes.    What  of  him?" 

"  He  is  my — my  uncle !  " 

"  Is  it  possible  ?  Then  he  must  be  following1 
you." 

"  He  is !  " 

"  Well,  I  shall  protect  you,  so  do  not  fear/' 
whispered  Nick  Smithers.  "  Remember,  we  are 
to  be  married  to-day.  He  shall  not  stop  you. 
He  can't  do  it,  for  you  are  twenty-one." 

"  Oh,  Lancelot,  I — I  am  so  afraid !  " 

By  this  time  the  small  man  had  reached  the 


236         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

table  at  which  the  couple  were  seated.  He  stared 
in  amazement. 

"  Hullo,  Miss  Jacobotson,  what  are  you  doing 
here  ?  "  he  cried. 

"  Don't  touch  me !  "  screamed  the  young  lady, 
wildly.  "  Don't  touch  me." 

"  This  young  lady  is  under  my  protection," 
tame  loftily  from  Nick  Smithers. 

"Really?"  said  the  small  man.  "Since 
when?" 

"  Never  mind  since  when.  She  is  under  my 
protection,  and  I  do  not  want  you  to  molest 
her." 

"  Say,  do  you  know  who  she  is  ?  "  asked  the 
little  man,  curiously. 

"  I  do." 

"  Well,  she  has  got  to  go  back  to  the  asylum, 
and  that  is  all  there  is  to  it." 

"  Asylum  ?  "  gasped  Nick  Smithers. 

"  That  is  what!  said." 

"  I'll  not  go  back !  "  screamed  the  young  lady. 
"  Lancelot,  protect  me !  "  and  she  clutched  the 
swindler  around  the  neck. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  she  belongs  in  an 
asylum?"  came  faintly  from  Nick  Smithers. 

"  She  does.  She  escaped  from  the  lunatic 
asylum  at  Sarville  yesterday." 

"  Wha — what  is  her  name?" 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          237 

"  Mary  Jacobotson.  Her  mind  was  turned 
years  ago  by  reading  romantic  novels,  and  she 
imagines  she  has  an  uncle  who  is  keeping  her 
money  away  from  her." 

"  Is  she  under  the  charge  of  an  uncle?  " 

"  No.  Her  father  had  her  placed  in  the 
asylum,  for  he  couldn't  keep  her  at  home.  Her 
father  is  a  well-to-do  builder  of  Hartford." 

All  this  time  the  young  lady,  who  was  indeed 
insane,  was  clinging  tightly  to  Nick  Smithers* 
neck. 

"  Don't  leave  me !  "  she  implored.  "  I  love 
you !  Don't  leave  me,  and  you  shall  have  a  mil- 
lion dollars  and  a  rubber  doll !  Don't  leave  me, 
Augustus!  I  implore  thee,  by  the  light  of  yon- 
der stars !  "  And  now  she  began  to  rave. 

"  I — I  reckon  I  made  a  mistake,"  said  the 
swindler,  much  crestfallen.  "  Let  go  of  me ! " 
And  now  he  pushed  the  raving  girl  from  him. 
The  train  had  stopped  at  a  station,  and  in  another 
moment  the  asylum  keeper  had  the  patient  on  the 
platform,  where  she  continued  to  rave.  Then 
the  train  moved  on. 

Sinking  back  in  his  seat  at  the  dining-car  table, 
the  swindler  mopped  the  beads  of  perspiration 
from  his  forehead  with  his  handkerchief.  He 
was  utterly  disgusted. 

"  That  is  where  I  certainly  put  my  foot  in  it," 


*38          FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

he  muttered.  "  But  I  can  be  thankful  I  didn't 
marry  the  girl !  " 

"  Sorry,  sar,  but  you'll  have  to  settle  for  this 
lunch/'  said  the  waiter. 

"  If  so,  I  reckon  I'll  eat  it,"  answered  Nick 
Smithers,  and  proceeded  to  do  so. 

Nat  had  watched  the  whole  scene  with  inter- 
est. At  first  he  was  inclined  to  confront  the 
swindler  without  delay,  but  then  reconsidered  the 
matter. 

"  I  must  go  slow/'  he  mused.  "  If  I'm  not 
careful  he'll  get  away  again." 

When  Nick  Smithers  left  the  dining  car  Nat 
followed  him  to  the  smoker  and  saw  the  swindler 
settle  down  for  a  comfortable  smoke. 

"  He  isn't  going  to  leave  the  train  just  yet," 
thought  our  hero.  "  I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if 
he  is  bound  for  Albany.  If  that's  so,  I  had  bet- 
ter wait  until  we  arrive  there.  Then  we'll  be  in 
New  York  State,  where  the  offense  was  com- 
mitted." 

The  train  rattled  on,  and  at  the  proper  time 
rolled  into  the  big  station  at  Albany.  Nat  kept 
close  behind  Nick  Smithers  and  at  the  same  time 
looked  around  anxiously  to  see  if  he  could  find  a 
policeman. 

It  was  not  long  before  our  hero  sighted  an 
officer  of  the  law,  gazing  curiously  at  the  crowd 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          239 

leaving  the  train.  At  once  he  beckoned  the 
policeman  to  come  to  him. 

"What's  wanted?"  asked  the  officer,  anxi- 
ously. 

"  Do  you  see  that  man  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  He  is  a  swindler,  who  is  wanted  in  New  York 
City  for  swindling  several  men  and  myself.  I 
want  him  arrested.  Be  careful  how  you  handle 
him,  for  he  ran  away  from  me  in  Springfield." 

"  You  are  sure  of  this  ?  " 

"  I  am  positive.  But  be  careful,  or  he  will  get 
away." 

"  He  won't  get  away  from  me,"  said  the  police- 
man. 

Nick  Smithers  was  hurrying  for  the  street 
when  Nat  and  the  officer  of  the  law  came  up  to 
him. 

"  Stop,  Nick  Smithers !  "  cried  our  hero,  and 
caught  him  by  the  arm. 

The  swindler  swung  around,  stared  at  Nat,  and 
his  face  fell. 

"  This  is  the  time  you  don't  get  away  so 
easily,"  went  on  Nat.  "  Officer,  do  your  duty." 
'  You'll  have  to  consider  yourself  under  ar- 
rest," said  the  policeman.  "  This  young  man 
makes  a  charge  against  you." 

"  Why,  that  young  man  is  a  lunatic ! "  cried 


24o         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

Nick  Smithers,  thinking  of  his  experience  on  the 
train.  ;<  They  let  him  out  of  the  asylum  only 
day  before  yesterday.'' 

"  Don't  you  believe  a  word  of  it,"  said  Nat. 
"  This  rascal  is  one  of  the  slickest  swindlers  in 
the  world.  Take  him  to  headquarters,  and  I'll 
go  along  and  prove  every  word  I  say." 

'  You'll  have  to  come  along,"  said  the  officer. 

"  All  right,  I'll  go,"  answered  Nick  Smithers, 
but  an  instant  later  he  started  to  run  away 
through  the  crowd.  Nat,  however,  was  on 
guard,  and  putting  out  a  foot,  he  sent  the  rascal 
pitching  headlong  on  the  depot  platform. 

"Hi!  what  did  you  do  that  for?"  demanded 
Nick  Smithers,  on  arising.  And  he  glared  at  our 
hero  as  if  to  eat  him  up. 

1  You'll  come  along  with  me !  "  came  angrily 
from  the  policeman,  and  without  more  ceremony 
he  marched  the  swindler  to  the  police  station, 
with  our  hero  following. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

NAT   COMES   INTO    HIS   OWN 

ONCE  at  the  police  station,  Nat  made  a  charge 
against  Nick  Smithers,  and  then  the  swindler  was 
asked  what  he  had  to  say  for  himself. 

"  This  is  all  a  mistake,"  he  said.  "  I  am  not 
the  person." 

"  He  is  wanted  in  Chicago  as  well  as  in  New 
York  City,"  went  on  our  hero. 

In  the  meantime  another  officer  had  been  look- 
ing up  Nick  Smithers'  picture  in  the  rogues' 
gallery. 

"  I  don't  think  the  young  man  is  mistaken/'  he 
said.  "  Wait  till  I  telephone  to  New  York  for 
more  particulars." 

This  was  done,  and  inside  of  an  hour  the  ras- 
cal's identity  was  fully  established.  Then  Nick 
Smithers  broke  down. 

"  It's  all  up  with  me,  and  I  may  as  well  con- 
fess," he  said,  scowling  at  Nat.  "  But  I  must 
say,  I  never  thought  a  country  boy  would  run  me 
down." 

241 


242         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  Well,  you  see,  I  am  not  quite  as  green  as  I 
used  to  be,"  answered  Nat,  with  a  faint  smile. 

"  But  you  missed  it  by  not  coming  to  me  on 
the  quiet,"  went  on  Nick  Smithers.  "  Had  you 
done  so,  you  might  have  gotten  your  hundred 
dollars  back.  As  it  is,  you'll  not  get  a  cent." 

"  That  remains  to  be  seen,"  answered  our  hero. 

When  Nat  could  get  away  from  the  police  sta- 
tion he  hurried  at  once  to  the  law  offices  of 
Messrs.  Caswick  &  Sampson,  as  directed  by  Mr. 
Gar  well. 

"  So  you  are  the  young  man  John  Garwell 
telegraphed  about,"  said  Mr.  Sampson,  shaking 
hands.  "  I  am  glad  to  meet  you.  The  business 
on  hand  concerns  you  personally  as  well  as  it  con- 
cerns your  employer." 

"Concerns  me?"  ejaculated  Nat,  in  wonder. 
"How  is  that?" 

"  I  am  interested  in  a  piece  of  property  located 
in  New  York  City,  near  Central  Park.  By  some 
papers  which  you  turned  over  to  Mr.  Garwell  it 
would  seem  that  you  are  likewise  interested  in 
the  land." 

1  Through  my  grandfather?" 

"  Yes."  ' 

"  Then  he  really  owned  a  share  of  the  land  ?  " 

"  He  did,  and  so  far  as  Mr.  Garwell  and  I  can 
ascertain  he  never  sold  out  his  claim/' 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          243 

"  What  is  the  claim  worth?  " 

;<  You  will  have  to  ask  Mr.  Garwell  about  that. 
He  wanted  me  to  sign  certain  documents,  and  let 
you  take  them  to  New  York  to-night.  Can  you 
do  that?" 

"  I  think  I  can.  But  the  police  may  wish  to 
detain  me."  And  then  our  hero  told  of  the  ar- 
rest of  Nick  Smithers.  Mr.  Sampson  became  in- 
terested, and  in  the  end  went  to  the  station  with 
Nat.  He  knew  some  of  the  officials,  so  our  hero 
had  no  more  trouble. 

"  We  shall  send  the  rascal  to  New  York  as 
soon  as  the  officers  down  there  want  him/1  said 
one  of  the  police  officials;  and,  later  on,  this  was 
done. 

Not  to  lose  time,  our  hero  took  the  night  train 
for  the  metropolis.  He  had  a  berth  in  the  sleeper, 
but  it  was  a  long  while  before  he  could  get  to 
sleep.  There  were  many  things  to  think  about, 
and  the  question  of  property  near  Central  Park 
was  an  absorbing  one. 

Arriving  in  New  York,  he  went  to  his  boarding 
house  for  breakfast,  and  then  hurried  down  to 
the  office.  It  was  not  until  ten  o'clock  that  John 
Garwell  appeared. 

"  Did  you  get  the  papers  from  Mr.  Sampson?  " 
was  his  employer's  first  question. 

"  Yes,  sir." 


»44         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

"  And  fix  up  those  matters  at  Springfield, 
too?" 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Garwell,  and  I  did  some  other 
things,  too,"  added  Nat.  "  I  had  that  rascal, 
Hamilton  Dart,  alias  Nick  Smithers,  arrested." 

"  Is  it  possible !  Tell  me  the  particulars,"  and 
Nat  did  so.  "  We  must  do  what  we  can  to  get 
your  money  back.  This  chap  may  have  some 
property  somewhere." 

"  Well,  even  if  I  don't  get  the  money  back,  it's 
a  satisfaction  to  put  him  where  he  belongs,"  said 
our  hero. 

"  Perhaps  you'll  not  be  so  anxious  to  get  that 
hundred  dollars  after  you've  heard  what  I  have 
to  tell,  Nat,"  went  on  John  Garwell,  with  a  quiet 
smile. 

"  What  have  you  to  tell,  Mr.  Garwell  ?  " 

"  It's  about  that  property  in  which  your  grand- 
father and  your  father  were  interested." 

"  Is  there  a  share  coming  to  me?  '' 

"  Yes." 

"What  is  it  worth?" 

"  That  remains  to  be  learned.  The  hotel 
folks  want  all  that  tract  of  land,  as  I  told  you.  I 
shall  advise  you  to  hold  out  for  sixty  thousand 
dollars." 

"  Sixty  thousand  dollars !  "  gasped  Nat,  think- 
ing he  had  not  heard  aright. 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          245 

"  Yes." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  think  my  share 
in  that  property  is  worth  sixty  thousand  dol- 
lars?" 

"  Either  that  or  pretty  close  to  it.  I  would 
not  take  a  cent  less  than  fifty-five  thousand 
dollars." 

"It's  a— a  fortune!" 

"  It  certainly  is  a  neat  sum  of  money  for  any 
lad  to  fall  heir  to.  I  trust,  if  you  do  get  it,  that 
you  invest  it  wisely." 

"  I'll  do  my  best  to  do  that,  Mr.  Garwell.  But 
this — stumps  me !  Sixty  thousand  dollars ! 
What  will  Uncle  Abner  say  when  he  hears  of 
it!" 

"  I'm  afraid  he  will  be  a  bit  jealous.  I'm  jeal- 
ous myself,"  added  the  real  estate  broker,  with  a 
twinkle  in  his  eye. 

"  I  know  you  are  not,"  answered  Nat,  honestly. 
"  Just  the  same,  sir,  if  I  get  that  money,  you  are 
going  to  have  your  full  share  for  helping  me  get 
it." 

"  Well,  I  shan't  object  to  my  regular  com- 
mission." 

"  And  you  are  going  to  have  more,"  added  Nat, 
firmly. 

"  The  way  matters  have  turned  out  will  make 
that  Shanley  of  Brooklyn  sick,"  continued  John 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

Garwell.  "  And  it  will  make  Rufus  Cameron 
sick,  too.  The  business  will  be  transacted  en- 
tirely through  me,  and  they  will  not  get  a  cent  in 
commissions." 

"  Well,  I'm  glad  to  get  back  at  Rufus  Cam- 
eron," answered  Nat.  "  I  haven't  forgotten  how 
he  treated  me." 

"  His  aunt  will  have  nothing  more  to  do  with 
him.  He  has  got  to  support  himself." 

"  I  hope  it  makes  a  man  of  him,"  said  our 
hero. 

The  next  three  weeks  were  busy  ones  for  Nat. 
He  had  to  appear  against  Nick  Smlthers,  who 
was  brought  to  New  York,  tried,  and  sentenced 
to  several  years  in  prison.  It  was  found  that 
there  was  money  coming  to  the  swindler,  and 
through  this  our  hero  and  the  others  who  had 
put  up  their  money  for  positions  with  "  Hamilton 
Daft,"  received  what  was  coming  to  them. 

"  It  was  great  of  you  to  run  him  down,"  said 
the  sick  man  to  Nat.  "  This  return  of  money 
will  please  my  sister." 

"  And  I  am  thankful  too,"  added  Harry  Bray. 

The  day  after  Nick  Smithers  was  convicted  the 
deal  concerning  the  property  near  Central  Park 
was  closed.  It  was  shown  that  a  part  of  the 
property  really  belonged  to  Nat,  and  the  sum  of 
sixty  thousand  dollars  was  eventually  turned  over 


FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE          247 

to  the  youth  for  this.     But  this  was  not  until  he 
was  of  age. 

"  Nat's  a  rich  man  now,"  said  Abner  Balberry, 
when  the  youth  became  twenty-one.  "  He's  got 
a  reg'lar  fortune." 

"  You  shall  have  something  of  this,  Uncle  Ab- 
ner," said  our  hero,  and  he  gave  his  uncle  five 
thousand  dollars  in  cash.  He  also  gave  the  same 
amount  to  John  Gar  well. 

In  the  meantime  our  hero  had  stuck  close  to  the 
real-estate  business,  and  learned  it  thoroughly. 
He  was  still  John  Garwell's  private  clerk. 

"  Are  you  going  to  leave  me,  now  you  have 
your  fortune  ?  "  questioned  the  real  estate  broker, 
anxiously. 

"  Do  you  want  me  to  leave  ?  " 

"No,  indeed!" 

"  How  would  you  like  to  take  me  in  as  a  part- 
ner, Mr.  Garwell  ?  " 

"  I'd  like  it  first-rate,  Nat — in  fact,  I  was  go- 
ing to  mention  that  myself." 

'  Then  let  us  form  a  partnership,"  and  this 
was  done  without  delav.  The  new  firm,  pros- 
pered from  the  very  start,  much  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  all  concerned. 

In  the  meantitme,  Nat  did  not  forget  his  old 
friends  the  Talcotts.  Although  he  no  longer 
lived  with  them,  he  visited  them  often.  He 


248         FROM  FARM  TO  FORTUNE 

learned  through  the  widow  that  her  son  was 
anxious  to  buy  out  the  store  in  which  he  worked. 
The  price  was  twelve  hundred  dollars,  and  one 
day  Nat  bought  it,  and  had  the  transfer  made  out 
in  Dick's  name. 

"  You  deserve  this,  Dick,"  said  he.  "  When  I 
was  a  stranger  and  mighty  green  you  did  your 
best  by  me." 

"  Well,  you've  paid  me  back,"  said  Dick,  with 
a  grin.  "  You're  a  gentleman,  Nat,  you  are." 

"  And  how  about  being  green  ?  " 

"  You're  not  green  any  more.  You're  as 
smart  as  they  make  'em !  " 

Since  then  the  years  have  rolled  on.  Nat  is 
still  in  business  and  is  doing  well.  He  has  mar- 
ried and  settled  down  in  New  York  City;  and 
here  we  will  leave  him. 


THE  END 


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THE  CRIMSON   BANNER. 

A  Story  of  College  Baseball 

Books  have  been  written  about  college  baseball,  but  it  remained 
for  Mr.  Moffat,  a  Princeton  man,  to  come  forward  with  a  tale  that 
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blood,  and  the  contests  become  real  as  we  read  about  them.  The 
best  all-around  college  and  baseball  tale  yet  presented. 

GRAYDON,  WILLIAM  MURRAY 

CANOE  BOYS  AND  CAMP  FIRES. 

Or,  Adventures  in  Winding  Waters 

Where  is  there  a  youth  who  does  not  love  a  gun,  a  fishing  rod, 
a  canoe,  or  a  roaring  camp-fire  ?  In  this  book  we  have  the  doings 
of  several  bright  and  lively  boys,  who  go  on  a  canoeing  trip  on  a 
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breath  of  the  forest  blows  through  mis  tale,  and  every  ooy  who 
reads  it  will  be  sorry  that  he  was  not  a  member  of  the  canoe  club 
that  took  that  never-to-be-forgotten  outing. 

HARKNESS,   PETER  T. 

ANDY,  THE  ACROBAT. 

Or,  With  the  Greatest  Show  on  Earth 
Andy  is  as  a  bright  as  a  silver  dollar.    In  the  book  we  can  smell 
the  sawdust,  hear  the  flapping  of  the  big  white  canvas  and  the 
roaring  of  the  lions,  and  listen  to  the  merry  "hoop  la!"  of  the  clown. 

FOSTER,  W.  BERT 

THE  QUEST  OF  THE  SILVER  SWAN. 

A  Tale  of  Ocean  Adventure 

A  Youth's  story  of  the  deep  blue  sea— of  the  search  for  a  derelict' 
carrying  a  fortune.  Brandon  Tarr  is  a  manly  lad,  and  all  lads 
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TWO  BOYS  AND  A  FORTUNE. 
Or,  The  Tyler  Will 

"  If  you  had  been  poor  and  were  suddenly  left  a  half  -million  dol- 
lars, what  would  you  do  with  it  ?  Do  you  think  the  money  would 
bring  you  happiness,  or  would  it  bring  only  increased  cares? 
That  was  the  problem  that  confronted  the  Pell  family,  and  es- 
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WINFIELD,  ARTHUR  M. 

BOB,  THE  PHOTOGRAPHER. 
Or,  A  Hero  in  Spite  of  Himself 

Relates  the  experiences  of  a  poor  boy  who  falls  in  with  a 
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ROCKWOOD,  ROY 

JACK  NORTH'S  TREASURE  HUNT. 
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Jack  is  sent  to  South  America  on  a  business  trip,  and  while 
there  he  hears  of  the  wonderful  treasure  of  the  Incas  located 
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LOST  IN  THE  LAND  OF  ICE. 
Or,  Daring  Adventures  Round  the  South  Pole 

An  expedition  is  fitted  out  by  a  rich  young  man  who  loves  the 
ocean,  and  with  him  goes  the  hero  of  the  tale,  a  lad  who  has  some 
knowledge  of  a  treasure  ship  said  to  be  cast  away  in  the  land  of 
ice.  On  the  way  the  expedition  is  stopped  by  enemies,  and  the 
heroes  land  cirong  the  wild  Indians  of  Patagonia.  When  the' 
ship  approaches  the  South  Pole  it  is  caught  in  a  huge  iceberg, 
ana  several  of  thu<;e  on  board  become  truly  lost  in  the  land  of  ice. 

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